Link
by animebookworm44
Summary: Yohxanna, slight HxT and LxP ... Anna decides to help yoh in the tournament, but will her efforts prove more destructive? COMPLETE FINALLY!
1. Link

WOOHOO! Another story, I feel accomplished... I think this one's not gonn actually be finished by the time you're done reading this, so expect more!

**Anna**/**Yoh**/**Len**(Ren)/**Tamora**(tamao)/**Trey**(horohoro)/**Morty**(Manta)/**Choco**(Chocolove)/**Zeke**(Hao): 14

**Rio**/**Faust**: 21

**Jun**/**Pai Long** (Pyron):19

**Most others that I possibly neglected to mention**:(FYI: this doesn't include ghosts) late teens/early twenties

(P.S. I will use Itako and Medium as adjectives for Anna interchangeably)

Disclaimer: (I think I forgot last time... and maybe the time before that) I don't own Shaman King.

ON TO THE STORY!

Shaman King contender Yoh Asakura walked up the stairs of the home he was residing in during the shaman fight. He was on a mission. His no-nonsense fiancee had barely shown herself today, and was unusually quiet. He was intent on finding out what was wrong with her, even if it meant great pain in the process.

**Link**

Yoh walked straight to the doorway of her room. Only now was he actually hesitant about disturbing her. She had never acted like this before, and he had known her since they were six. Yoh wasn't very comfortable with this new behavior, but if Anna was acting like this there had to be something drastic going on.

Anna Kyouyama could sense her fiancee at the door, and hurried to finish her work. It had taken all day to prepare, and she wasn't about to let her work go wasted. She gulped, then drank some of the content of the vial in front of her.

Yoh took a deep breath, let it out, and knocked.

Anna gasped at the taste of the liquid. It wasn't at all pleasant, and she felt sick. She wondered for a moment if she was actually going to technicolor yawn, but her stomach returned to normal, and she was able to answer Yoh's knock.

"Come...in...," she said, and sighed after she didn't throw up.

"Anna?" Yoh nervously, and came in.

"Yoh," Anna acknowledged, still not feeling quite herself, but hiding it like she usually does behind that mask.

"Anna... uh, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean, Yoh,"

"...You've barely said a word all day, didn't come down for lunch, and didn't bother to train me...there's something wrong,"

"Just because I decided to give you a day off doesn't mean something's wrong,"

"It does when it's you we're talking about,"

"And just what is that supposed to mean!"

"Nothing!" Yoh said, wincing, and waiting for her slap. When it didn't come, he peeked one eye open. Anna was turned away from him, keeling over. "Anna!"

"It's nothing, Yoh. Here, drink this. All of it," she handed him a vial half full of a liquid.

Yoh looked at it suspiciously, but decided if Anna was giving it to him, it wasn't poison. He gulped the liquid down in one sip, then gagged, although he had already swallowed.

"Anna? What the heck _is_ this stuff!"

"..._It's a potion that can create a link between two people. It will transfer certain things from one person to another,_" Yoh gaped. Anna had just said that, hadn't she? But her mouth... it didn't move. But he had heard her, hadn't he? "_And as you can see, it's transferring thoughts quite well,_"

"_So I can read your thoughts, and you can read mine?_" Yoh asked in his mind.

"_That would be the idea,_" Anna answered him. "_But it will also transfer something else... energy. Yoh, I have decided to help you in the tournament by giving you my energy,_"

"_But Anna! That could prove deadly! If I take too much, you won't be able to live! I don't want you getting hurt!_"

"_Your concern is... touching, but it's already done. You're stuck with me,_" Anna thought, and turned away. "_So you and I had both better get some sleep, we'll both need the energy, if this is to work,_"

"Hai, Anna," Yoh said, aloud. He turned away from Anna, toward the door. "Goodnight, Anna," he said.

"Goodnight," she replied. He closed the door.

"Hey Yoh!" came a call from the accidentally destructive blue-haired Ainu. "C'mon buddy! Time for BED! We know how mich you love bed!"

Trey walked over to him, and slapped him on the shoulder.

Yoh smiled at him half-heartedly. He was worried about this link.

Back in her room, Anna rubbed her arm.

That had hurt.

TBC!

YAY! first chapter done! Hope you liked. I would like to ask you to review, and tell me what you think. I also want you to tell me if I should leave my other fic, Mothers, alone, or whether I should continue it with a second, of maybe even a third part!

Your opinion does count!

Thank you for reviewing the other ones, to all those who reviewed!

animebookworm44!


	2. Training

YAY! next chapter! My first chapter ficcy!

Thank you to all who reviewed! If you need to see ages or anything, that was in the first chapter. I still dunno if I should keep going on the fic _Mothers_, but I'll keep going on this one in the meantime. I hope to have another chapter up tomorrow, too!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own shaman king

Anna was inside her own head, off in her own dreamland. The place was very nice, with everything Anna could ever want, or ever dream of having. Her perfect world. She was surrounded by things she couldn't have in the real world, that horrible place where nothing went right. Meaning she was content in her queen size bed with down comforters, surrounded by friends and,

'_Yoh,_'

**Link**

Yoh Asakura awoke with a start. He had heard his name. Looking around, however, he was only greeted with faces of shamans and a human who were asleep. But someone had just said his name, hadn't they?

Yoh shook his head, he must have still been dreaming. He smiled for no particular reason, and picked up the blatantly orange headphones laying next to his pillow. Turning them on, he decided to go for a walk. He walked out of the bedroom, toward the bathroom.

When he had finished his usual wake-up procedure, he continued walking down the hall, humming to his music. He paused at the door of the room that belonged to his fiancee. His dream had been about her. It was strange.

He had been trying to win a shaman fight and was exhausted, when all of a sudden this burst of energy came from his heart. He could feel only one person supporting this link, and it was her.

'_Anna,_' he thought, and continued past her doorway, down the hall, and out into the sunny day that awaited them in Dobe Village.

Anna awoke. The voice inside her head had made her. She yawned, wishing to go back to sleep, but stood up, against her own will. Her white nightgown trailed behind her as she came to the smell table in her room.

'_Oh,_ _That's right,_' Anna thought. '_I gave Yoh that potion yesterday... Eek! He can hear me!_'

Anna took a deep breath and focused on clearing her mind of all thoughts that could be potentially harmful to her,... or her reputation.

'_You're all I ever wanted,_'

What was that?

Anna smiled discretely, figuring it out. It was Yoh. He was singing, in his head. Anna let out a giggle, certain that her thoughts would never be heard over the music of Yoh's headphones, and then feeling quite comforted. She started to hum quietly the song that Yoh was singing, and began to clean up the desk.

She liked these times, when she was alone and could let her mask down. She felt quite secure when she was alone, not as secure as when she was with Yoh, but secure nonetheless. And now she could be alone, and with Yoh, at nearly the same time... if that made any sense. She giggled at her own musings, and returned to humming, while sweeping ingredients into the trash bin.

She then went to the bathroom, washing up and showering, all while humming the songs that came up in Yoh's headphones.

'_I guess I'll never have to ask Yoh for his headphones again,_' Anna thought, bemused. Finished with the bathroom, she dressed and then stood by her door.

She faced it, and took a deep breath. She concentrated hard, ridding all herself of any emotion. Her face, giggling earlier, showed no signs of having ever learned to laugh, and her eyes, sparkling just seconds before, now showed a bored expression.

This was her mask, her everyday ritual. The person she showed to everybody, and let down when she was alone.

She opened her door, on her way to the kitchen

"G-g-good M-m-morning, Anna," Tamora greeted, setting down a bowl of rice in front of the frightening Itako. Tamora looked hopefully at her.

Anna ignored her and tasted the food. "It's fine," Anna said.

Tamora let out a sigh, and went to see Trey.

"Morning, Anna!"

Anna almost smiled. Before her was her own fiancee, the one she hummed with all morning. But technically, she hadn't been with him, and so she kept her mask on.

'_Good Morning, Yoh,_' she thought, sounding indifferent.

Yoh stared. He had heard it, but her mouth didn't move. Last night came crashing back into his mind.

'_Glad to see you remember,_' Anna said. '_I really do hope you usually remember what has gone a day ago, and not forget,_'

"Of course, Anna! I just didn't remember last night!"

Now to the usual observer, this would be quite odd. Two people staring at each other, as if they were talking, but their mouthes weren't moving, and suddenly one speaks up about something that had nothing to do with anything previously audible. Which is why Morty, standing at the door, was quite confused. He decided not to make his presence known, however.

"Well, then, learn to remember things more often. SHORTY! COME IN HERE AND WATCH YOH WHILE HE TRAINS! AND DON'T LET HIM SLACK OFF!"

"Y-y-yes, Anna!"

Anna then calmly stood from her chair, and went to watch TV in her bedroom.

"Here we go, then, Morty," Yoh addressed the short little blonde boy. They went outside.

Anna watched them leave the house from her window, she then watched as Yoh proceeded to do his excercises. Anna decided to then sit down. Yoh's training would take a lot out of him today, and that would all come out of her.

Yoh finished his run. He panted on the sidewalk, leaning against the wall of the house at which they were residing. This was the last of the training he had to do today. It was almost lunch. He wondered what Tamora would be getting for lunch.

The thought of food made him less tired.

Or so he thought.

A man watched his twin pant on the sidewalk near a Dobe Village house. He smiled at the thought of his brother's fiancee telling him his next training. Suddenly dwelling on the thought of _her_, he looked up into her window. The TV was on. This meant that Anna was on her bed, watching her soaps. He had come to know her passtimes and movements very well throughout his observations of her. She intrigued him. He wondered how his brother could so easily succumb to her every word and command.

Back down on the sidewalk, his brother cought his eye. Yoh had straightened. This had never happened before. Yoh was always too tired to straighten after his run. Where did he get all this new energy? Looking back up to Anna's room, so he could watch her, he discovered that she wasn't in her usual spot either. A sudden feeling overcame him, and he searched about her room for any sign of her.

He froze when he saw the lone hand sticking out from behind the bed. She had...fainted?

Zeke narrowed his eyes. There was something going on here.

TBC!

YAY! I may actually get another one in today! I'm on a roll!

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS IF YOU ARE READING THIS!

Any comments and reviews would be very much appreciated. I do believe I will finish this fic!

And any opinions on any of my other fics would be appreciated too! Especially of whether I shoud continue mothers. If I did, I would probably do the next thing on when Yoh finds out he'll be a daddy. I think I'd make it a sequel, but if I should make it a chapter story, tell me.

animebookworm44


	3. Fights

YAY next chapter!

Again, thank you all for reviewing.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Shaman king

Yoh hurried into the house and to the kitchen. All the thinking about food had sure gotten him hungry.

"Hey Tamora!" Yoh called.

"Yoh!" Tamora said, surprised, "Well, since you're here, here's dinner!"

"Yay! Food!" Trey yelled, having heard Tamora's dinner announcement from down the hall.

Everybody else _(with the exception of Anna, as she had fainted in her room)_ had heard Trey's dinner announcement, and therefore came to the kitchen.

"What was everybody doing in the living room?" Yoh asked.

"Training," Trey replied.

"I would hardly call what you were doing _training_," Len said.

"Why you-!"

"Boys, boys!" Pilica said. "Now you both know you were having fun, and it is a good way to anticipate upcoming attacks, so it could therefore be comsidered training. Don't make me regret having brought it,"

"Yea, well, Len used it too!" Trey tried to state his case.

"Only once, and it was because you had run out of competitors!"

"Yea right! I saw you play against my sister when I went to get snacks!"

Len went red. Pilica did too, but tried to make a comeback, "Now, now. Don't turn another fun thing into an argument between you two. We have enough yelling around here as it is, and I don't want to have to throw it out,"

"It?" Yoh asked, still completely confused.

"A new game that Pilica brought with her," Rio said.

"Actually, Rio, it's not new. That version has been around for quite some time, and they've made updated versions of the same thing,"

"They've updated it?" Trey asked.

"Well sure! My dad's company manufactures them, I should know,"

"What is it?" Yoh tried.

"Then why didn't you bring it? I'm sure you could've gotten one for free!" Trey asked.

"It doesn't work like that, numbskull! You can't just get things for free, even if his dad makes them!" Len criticised.

"WHAT IS IT!" Yoh yelled, now clearly frustrated.

"Oh, the game? It's called Dance Dance Revolution," Faust said.

Yoh fell over. "You're making all that fuss about that game?"

"Well sure! It's awesome!" Trey said. "And I'm the best at it!"

"Well, I suppose now that you're the best at _something_," Len said.

Pilica hit him, "My brother's the best at a lot of things! He's the best at eating!"

"Yea!" Trey supported.

"And he's the best at fighting! Isn't that right Trey!"

"Yea!"

"Really?" Len asked, sounding mischevious, "Would you bet your life on it?"

"Sure!" Pilica said.

"Now wait a minute, Pilica-" Trey tried.

"You're on!" Len said.

"WHAT!" Trey said.

"We fight. I win, I get Pilica as a servant for the day, you win...ummm, you get all the food you can eat, my treat!"

"Hang on a sec-" Trey said.

"DEAL!" Pilica interrupted.

"HUH!" Trey said, utterly baffled.

"Alright, then. I'll be waiting. Anytime you want to go, we'll go," Len said, putting down his bowl of soup, and walking out the door.

"Fine then!" Pilica shouted at him.

Len left.

"Pilica! Why would you want to go do a thing like that!" Trey asked. "You promised him you'll be his servant for a day if I lose!"

"But you won't lose!" Pilica said.

"Any how are you so sure!" Trey asked.

"Because if you can't beat him, you can't become shaman king!... and I know you will,"

Trey was silent.

"Well, your brother's got his work cut out for him," Jun said. "My brother will be a tough opponent,"

Anna appeared in the doorway, hand on her head. Only Yoh noticed her come in.

"Anna? Are you alright?" Yoh asked, concerned.

"Yes. I'm fine," Anna said in her usual cold tone. She lowered her hand "However, I would be more fine if someone hadn't been shouting!"

"Sorry about that, Anna. You know Trey and Len,"

"Unfortunately, I do," Anna sat at the table. Tamora put some soup in front of her and Anna looked at it with distaste, but ate it anyway.

In a park at Dobe Village, an Ainu mountain boy stood with his sister. Both were glaring at the two pointy-haired chinese shamans across from them, some distance away. This staring contest had been proceeding for a while now, and the seven shaman on the side watching them were getting restless.

"Can we start the fight now?" Anna asked coldly.

"We don't have a mediator, Miss Anna," Rio said.

"And who cares? It's not like this is an official shaman battle or anything. And It's not like they would follow the rules anyway. We just need someone to say 'fight'." Anna said.

"Alright then! Who do we pick?" Yoh said. He started analyzing eyerone in the crowd. '_Hmmm...Tamora? Too quiet...Faust? No, he's too busy with Eliza..._'

'_Oh for goodness sake!_' Anna thought, rolling her eyes at the thoughts inside her fiancee's head. She walked out.

"Alright you two! Enough staring. Let's get on with this!" Anna said. "FIGHT!"

Both boys stood staring at her for a second, then, realising she had told them to fight, performed giant spirit control.

Both seemed evenly matched. They dodged each other's first attacks. Both were hit slightly by the other's second.

In a little while, both were tired from the fighting, and were panting. They had both had enough of this, and decided to use their most powerful attacks. Yoh, who was on the sidelines, couldn't bear this.

"Bason! Ultimate Rapid Tempo Assault!"

"No!" said Yoh, as he ran onto the battlefield.

Len, realising Yoh had just ran in front of his attack, tried to redirect it. It still hit Yoh in the shoulder.

Anna cringed and clutched her shoulder. The pain was just bearable enough to escape from making any audible noise. She hoped no one noticed her cringe.

Yoh couldn't feel the effect the attack had. It was as if he hadn't been hit at all. But Yoh could clearly see that he had been hit. He decided to dwell on this later, as there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Would you two quit it!" Yoh shouted at the two shamans. "You're about to tear each other to pieces! Teammates don't act like this! And if I'm not mistaken last time I checked, you two were on the same shaman team, fighting in the same shaman tournament!"

Both Len and Trey looked somewhat guilty.

Anna's arm was throbbing. She had to go get something for it! An aspirin! Anything! She started to slowly tiptoe backwards, away from the scene. When she was far enough away, she broke into a run.

"And I believe we have put up with your fighting long enough! You two are _friends_, great friends! And you are both my friends. And as a friend, I can't bear to watch you tearing each other to pieces. I don't care if this is a stupid bet or anything! And right now, I don't care who loses the stupid bet, just stop fighting!"

Both released giant spirit control, meeting on the ground.

"Thank you!" Yoh turned back to the sidelines. Noticing someone gone, he asked, "Where's Anna?"

Anna ran through he forest path that led to the village. '_I hope everything turned out alright,_' she thought.

'_Everything's fine,_' she got an answer.

'_Whaa? Yoh?_'

'_Didn't forget I could hear your thought's did ya?_'

'_No,_' she thought angrily. '_Now get out of my head!_'

From up above Anna, a figure his through the trees. '_Yes, something is definately going on here,_' Zeke thought as he watched Anna run out of the forest.

HAHAHAHAHA! TWO TODAY! i feel happy and accomplished. Yes, I do know that this one didn't really advance the plot at all, but it was so much fun to write! The little bits of LenxPilica and TreyxTamora!

I'm off to watch Descendant's of Darkness!

animebookworm44


	4. Shaman Battle Part 1

Sorry it took soooooo long to update... but those who are authors know what I mean!

And so, I'm here writing this on Wednesday...although if you're reading thiis it's probably Thursday...unless you're a bit behind the times... then you could be reading this sometime in the future...

...my head hurts...

So then, on with the story!

Anna had had a sufficient amount of aspirin. Her pain was dying down, and she decided to retire early, to make up for the energy she had lost.

As for Yoh, he was left down in the kitchen thinking what could have happened to make Anna run away like that. It wasn't like her... to run away from things. At least besides emotions in the presence of others.

Oh yes, he knew about her mask. He knew because he had watched her, almost every day, when she thought she was alone. He had seen her with her walls down...and he loved her that way. It brought him such happiness when he could see her happy. Especially this morning, when he had heard her humming along with his singing during his walk. Of course he knew Anna didn't know that he had heard her, so he kept quiet about it.

**Shaman Battle**

Yoh was disrupted in his thoughts by the soft ringing of a bell. He didn't know what it was at first, but looking down at his arm he found the answer.

His Oracle Bell.

He would have a shaman fight tomorrow...at noon...against Team Typhoon.

'_Hmmmmm,...Typhoon. That's an interesting team name. Probably a team with water based guardian ghosts,_' Yoh then took his mind of his fiancee to think of a strategy for the upcoming match.

Anna woke up in the morning to find the house in a frenzy.

Apparently, Yoh and his team had a shaman fight today... and she didn't know about it.

"YOH!" she shouted.

"Uh...Hey, Anna," Yoh said, faltering slightly.

"You didn't tell me you had a shaman fight today!"

"I didn't know!"

"He is right, Miss Anna," Rio said, coming in from an adjacent room, "I did not get the message until very late last night,"

"Yea! Cut him some slack, dude!" Trey tried to help.

A vein popped in Anna's temple,"...Did you just call me _dude_?"

"Uh! No! No! Of course not! Why would I call you 'dude'? I'd have no reason to do that! Especially since I know how mad you'd get!"

"I thought so," Anna said satisfied. "Anyway, Yoh. I want you to take a short run to warm you up for the match, but don't waste too much energy, you'll need to save up for the fight,"

"Hai, Anna," Yoh replied, taking his headphones, placing them on his ears, and running out the door.

The fight began at twelve. Yoh, Rio, and Faust were all at the stadium at 11:45. Anna, Tamora, Trey, Len, Pilica and the rest filed in at 5 to noon.

The fight began with Silva's usual call of "FIGHT!"

Team Typhoon was quick to attack They performed spirit control and charged, apparently without thinking. Rio and Faust performed giant spirit control, and held them at bay so Yoh could use his double medium. But Yoh was hesitant. With the link, he didn't know how much harm this would bring to Anna, so he missed his first chance.

Anna watched disapprovingly. Yoh sould have taken that chance to attack. She watched then as one team member snuck by and hit Yoh on the shoulder. She clutched her corresponding one. THe attack had been more powerful than it looked. She almost shouted, but held her noises.

On the field, Yoh also clutched his shoulder. It didn't hurt badly, but it was bleeding. He hadn't been expecting that last attack. He was then again about to do double medium, when Rio and Faust wer both knocked aside, leaving room for all three members of Typhoon to attack Yoh.

The first charged, hitting Yoh's other shoulder.

Anna clutched hers.

The second punched Yoh across the face.

Anna clutched her cheek.

The third hit Yoh's stomach.

Anna clutched her stomach. "_AHHHHHHH!_" she screamed, inside her head.

Yoh's head snapped up. He had just heard Anna scream. But, no one else did. And she hadn't been fighting. He looked up in the stands to see Anna clutching her stomach, in the same spot he had just been hit. Yoh gasped, finally getting it.

The link could make Anna feel his pain...

YAY! Another chapter

Any comments appreciated!


	5. Shaman Battle Part 2

HEHEHE! Thank you guys soooooooooooo much for the reviews... it made me want to get this chapter up and running as aoon as possible! So here it is!

I still haven't decided if I should make another chapter to Mother,... but those who reviewed think I should, so maybe I will!

I hope you keep reading, and if you haven't read my other fics, read those too! I'm still kinda new here, so I hope to get better at writing... and updating.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Shaman King

On with the story!

Anna looked up. Yoh was staring at her. In that second, she gathered he knew what she had been trying to keep from him. His face showed worry, astonishment, wonder, and worst of all, hurt. Anna looked away. She couldn't bear to see him look at her like that.

**Shaman Battle Part 2**

Yoh was shaken from his thoughts by the shout of pain that came from Rio. His teammate had been slasked in the side. He wanted to help, but...he couldn't hurt Anna. Not anymore than she had been hurt already, that is.

'_How could she let this happen? Why didn't she just let me fight on my own? I can take care of myself, and... she wouldn't've gotten hurt,_' Anna couldn't hear his thought through the pain searing her stomach.

Yoh turned to Rio and Faust. Faust was up on Eliza's shoulder, and Rio was returning to his place on Tokogero's uh, head thingy.

"Hey, Faust! Rio!" Yoh shouted. They turned to him. "Do you think you can handle these guys without me!"

"Of course, Yoh!" Faust shouted.

"Do not worry, Master Yoh! We shall take care of them for you!" Rio said.

"Lord Yoh, is something wrong?" Amidimaru asked, appearing in spirit ball form.

"Yes, Amidimaru, something is very wrong,"

Amidimaru, although worried, could tell that his master didn't want to talk about it, so he kept quiet.

"Why isn't Yoh fighting?" Tamora asked.

"I dunno," Trey said.

"Maybe he can't with all his injuries," Pilica surmised.

"No," said Len, "I don't think that's it. Yoh wouldn't stop fighting without reason. Something's up,"

"What do you think, Anna?" Morty turned to ask her, then paused upon seeing Anna clutch her stomach in great pain. "Anna? Are you okay?" Nobody else heard him.

"Yes, Morty. I'm fine," Anna said through gritted teeth.

Morty could tell something was wrong, as 1) Anna never spoke through gritted teeth, and 2) she didn't call him "Shorty".

'_Yoh,_' she pleaded in her mind, '_You have to fight,_'

'_No,_'

'_Please, Yoh. Don't worry about me, fight,_'

'_But Anna- OUCH!_'

He had just been hit in the stomach again.

Anna keeled over so far she almost fell out of her seat.

"Are you sure you're alright, Anna?" Morty asked, unsatisfied.

"I've got to- go-" Anna stood and sprinted up the steps of the colosseum.

"Anna wait!" Morty said. His legs being as short as they were, he couldn't catch her, but he knew where she was going.

'_Please, Yoh. If you don't win this one,-- I'll -- I'll double triple your training regime!_'

"Anna," Yoh whispered. He made up his mind. "Amidimaru! Into the sword! Into the antiquity!"

Anna, through the pain, smiled to herself. She ran until the steps of the colosseum ran out, and then chose one of the rooms to watch the match.

These rooms would be considered box seats in any other stadium, but as this was a shaman fight, nobody really cared where they sat, and so these rooms were empty of people.

Anna figured no one would come in, and so she sat down to watch and await the pain she knew was sure to arrive.

She watched Yoh's double medium hit one man on the first attack. But then another man hit Yoh from behind.

Anna's back arched and she almost fell off the seat.

Yoh's double medium hit the second team member.

The third attacked.

Anna fell to the ground.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here," a voice came.

Anna had just enough strength to look up at the man. "Zeke," she acknowledged, through gritted teeth again.

"Now, now. This simply won't do. A pretty young lady lying on the floor, neglected by all her so-called friends,"

Morty, having just been able to reach the top, was attracted by the sound of voices. He opened the door of the room a crack to find a sight he never thought he'd see.

Zeke righted Anna, but she didn't have enough strength to stand. This ended in Anna falling into Zeke's awaiting arms.

"Well, if you're so insistant," Zeke put his arms around her. "I can't imagine how many times my dear brother has had you like this,"

"Take- your- hands- off- of- me-," Anna tried to say.

"You know, I don't think I will," Zeke said mischieviously. "With all your energy spent, you'll be unconscious in a few moments, and it is so hard to resist you, Anna. I wonder how my brother can do it at all. And you look so beautiful when you're all vulnerable like this,"

Anna tried to slap him, but he was right. She was falling unconscious.

"That's it my Anna, just go off to sleep,"

Morty watched in horror as Anna fell limp in Zeke's arms.

Zeke let out a chuckle, and disappeared.

Another chapter, another cliffhanger. Oh well!

PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ REVIEW! Although it's not like I'm gonna hold a chapter hostage if you don't.

Thanks for sticking with me!

animebookworm44


	6. Kidnapped

Another day, another chapter. But, technically, it's the same day (Thursday), different chapter.

And since I had a reviewer request it, I shall change Zeke to Hao (I like "Hao" better anyway)!

Thank you to all who reviewed, it really was very nice!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own shaman king

She had gone. Hao had taken her and she was gone. Yoh sat in the living room, thinking of nothing else but her.

It had been because of him that she was vulnerable.

It had been because of him that she couldn't resist his twin.

It had been because of him that she had been hurt in the first place.

It had been because of him that she decided to create the link anyway.

It was because of him that she was gone, and it would be because of him that she would come back.

**Kidnapped**

He sat in this room, trying to utilize the thing that had caused all the trouble in the first place, the link. He tried to get messages to her, tried to find her, but now the link was useless. It didn't do anything but exist. And he was mad at it.

"Awww, come on, dude! You're not still sitting here thinking about it are you!" Trey said as he walked in. Behind him walked Pilica, then Tamora, then Len, then the rest.

Yoh didn't acknowledge them. He didn't feel like talking.

"Yoh,... we know how hard this is, but... you gotta try and get over it. Nothing's gonna happen to make it better if you can't shape up and face that she's gone!" Pilica shouted.

"Don't yell at him, Pilica!" Tamora said. "He's just ...depressed,"

"I know excatly how he feels," Rio said, with fake anime tears streaming down his face, "I too have been depressed over a woman,"

"Or many women," Len whispered.

"What did you say!" Rio objected.

'_Nggggggh,_'

Yoh perked up. "Anna?" he said. Everyone else in the room stopped abruptly and turned to look at him in surprise.

Anna was arousing. She let out a soft moan. She was so tired. Did she have to get up now? No, no. Of course she didn't. Why would she? Nobody is going to question her about sleeping in late. And after what happened yesterday, she deserved a lot of rest.

Wait-- yesterday?

Anna's eyes shot open to find herself chained to a wall, sitting down with her hands out of reach and legs spread apart.

'_Hao!_'

'_Anna!_'

'_...Yoh? Is that you? Where am I? What am I doing here?_'

'_You were kidnapped by Hao, Anna. Try to stay calm,_'

"Ah! So my lovely lady is awake at last!"

'_Hao!_'

'_Hao?_'

'_Yes, Yoh he's here!_'

"Well, now that you've conversed enough with my little brother, I think I'll break that little link of yours,"

He steadily walked over to her. Anna cringed.

'_Yoh, he's coming over here!_'

'_What!_'

"Oh, Anna. I promise this won't hurt a bit," He kneeled in between her legs, placing his hands on her thighs.

'_Yoh!_'

'_Anna, what's happening?_'

Hao then leaned forward, capturing her lips with his, invading her mouth with his tongue.

Yoh was wide-eyed and standing at the house now. He had told them all what was happening like a play-by-play.

'_Anna, what's happening?_'

'_YOH! HE'S- HE'S-_'

'_...Anna?_'

"What happened?" Tamora asked anxiously.

"I...lost her,"

Tamora gasped. Trey put an arm around her shoulder, trying to calm her.

"So you think he's- he's- _raping_ her?" Pilica said,

Yoh didn't answer, but his face was grave.

"Why that little-" Len started, but was stopped when Pilica put a hand over his mouth. She gave him a warning glare.

"I just gotta find her,"

'_C'mon, break, link, break!_' Hao said to himself. Granted, he was having a good time playing with Anna, but he did want to save some things for later.

Anna had tears streaming down her face. Hao was invading her mouth and caressing her thighs. She didn't know how far he would go. He already broke the link between she and her fiancee, what more did he want?

Hao suddenly stopped his kissing and caressing.

"Well then, Anna, that was fun. I should say we'll have to do it again sometime, wouldn't you agree?... Perhaps we shall even go beyond, hm?" He left.

'_Yoh,_' she thought, before fainting.

Another chapter. I gotta get off the computer now, though.

animebookworm


	7. Match

YAY! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!

And... I made an oopsie! I forgot to up the rating because of Hao's antics last chapter, so the rating's up now... I think.

I have initially decided to make Mothers a chapter fic, but I'm gonna finish this fic first. I dunno how many more chapters this'll have, though.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own shaman king

And onto the story!

Anna awoke drearily in Hao's "dungeon" where he had decided to chain her. She had slept sitting up, and that hadn't gone over too well with her.

Speaking of the devil,

Hao walked into the room.

"Ah, Anna. My princess has awakened. So dear, would you like to get out of those chains, hmm?"

**Match**

Anna couldn't muster the strength enough to give an answer. Truth be told, she really did want to be unchained, but she wasn't sure what Hao might've done to her to let her have her freedom.

"Ohhh, my beautiful girl is a widdle sweepy?" Hao said, imitating a baby voice.

If Anna had not hated him enough before, she sure as heck did now.

She sneered at him.

"Ooo! Fiesty!" Hao said, walking toward her. "That's imparticularly what I like about you, Anna. You're fiesty," He cupped her chin in his hand, bringing her gaze up to meet his, "Girls aren't nearly as fiesty today as they used to be," he said absently,

"It's a shame,...but perhaps that's what drew me to you Anna. You're the only one who seems to have the energy I love so much. You're the only girl I've ever met who can actually get a male to obey her by force, most men today are too cooperative with their lovers. They've gone soft. It used to be men who were the ones in control, but now men and their women work together in a community,"

"Women don't belong to men," Anna had the strength to say.

Hao turned away, "Yes, today. Equality is what has given you the energy to speak up. These humans and their equality... they lack a true leader. That is what I hope to bring to this planet when I become the king. I myself, and a group of select few humans will restore the glory of this earth to it's original state, and then spawn offspring that will keep these ideals alive,"

He turned back to her, "That's why I have brought you here Anna. I plan to let you survive the armageddon that will envelope the earth after the shaman tournament, and then you will be my queen. And we shall spawn the most beautiful offspring this world has ever seen. And there will have to be many of them if we again plan to start the population of the universe,"

He walked toward her, and Anna growled in response. Hao stopped. "You know, Anna... I really can't figure you out. How can someone so fragile," He ran a hand up her arm, "Be able to boss my brother around, and put him into his submissive state. You certainly are something, my dear Anna. And soon you will be _my_ something,"

"No," she said.

"Oh, dear. There's no point in arguing, especially not when you don't have a choice," he started, cupping her chin again and moving his face just centimeters from hers, "And especially not against me,"

He was about to kiss her.

A bell rang.

Hao looked down at his arm. '_Dangit,_'

"...Ah, well. Saved by the bell, dear Anna. But perhaps this is best. Taking it slow always was the wise way... but nevr my way," he looked down at his arm again, and a mischievious smile crossed his face, growing by the second. "But you will come to support your new fiancee at the match, won't you? Especially when his match is against your ex-fiancee's best friends,"

Anna's head snapped up.

"Ah, yes Anna. My next match is this evening against... Team Len," He walked toward the door, "Sorry I have to leave you hanging like this, but I have a team to devise a strategy for. But I'll be back later after the match and perhaps we could... have a little celebration, hmm?"

He smiled at her then left.

"Team Star?" Yoh said disbelievingly.

"Yes, it's this evening," Len said. Pilica looked worriedly at him.

"But, what if- what if you don't come back?" she said.

"Do you really have that little faith in us that you doubt we'll come back?"

"No! I just-"

"Stop it, Len. She's just worried," Trey intervened.

"Yes, well, I think it's a perfect opportunity!" Len said.

"Len! You must be nuts!" Choco said.

"Actually, no. This is a perfect opportunity to shove Hao out of the tournament, and to let Yoh try to find his fiancee while Hao is occupied,"

"Y'know, he's right," Trey said. "It would give Yoh time to try and find Anna,"

"But Big Brother-!"

"I don't like it," Yoh said. "I don't think you guys should set yourselves up just so I can find her,"

"C'mon Yoh! We all know you want to find her! And we want to see her safe too! Sure she's bossed us around, but it _was_ for our own safety! And goodness knows what Hao's done to her," Trey said. This was followed by a moment of silence from everyone, who was contemplating the many things Anna may have gone through.

"So," Len said. "Team Len, let's go devise strategy. And you-" he pointed to Yoh, "Try to find a plan to find your fiancee,"

They left.

"That's easier said than done," Yoh mumbled after they had gone from sight.

Morty piped up, "Actually Yoh, I have an idea..."

HAHAHAHA! Another chapter. Again, thanx for the reviews. And sorry it took sooo long to update (although it hasn't really been _that_ long)

See you all next time!

animebookworm44


	8. Battle of Team Len

And another one. This is the eighth. YAY! Sorry for the late update, I had a busy week. But I GOT A PUPPY! and inspiration abounds!

Thank you to reviewers again. I LOVE YOU ALL!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own SK

Onto the chapter!

Anna was pushed upward from her sitting position after being unchained. Her legs hurt as she hadn't used them in a while. She was then ushered by Opacho and Mari into the adjoining room.

Mari held out a dress. It was dark red, medieval looking, and very skimpy.

Anna stared at the dress.

**Battle of Team Len**

Mari handed it out to her. "Master Hao wishes for Prisoner Anna to wear this to the fight,"

"I'm not wearing that skimpy little thing you call a dress!"

Mari turned away from her, toward the mirror. "Perhaps Master Hao would like to see Mari in this dress more than Master Hao would like to see prisoner Anna," she held the dress up to herself.

"No offense, but that dress isn't your color," Anna stated matter-of-factly.

"Perhaps prisoner Anna Itako is right. Mari will leave while Prisoner Anna puts this dress on, and then Mari will leave with Anna and Opacho for the shaman fight,"

She gave the dress to the Medium. Anna, in turn, held her dress up, looking into the mirror. Mari left.

Anna busied getting undressed. Finally putting the dress on, she discovered it wasn't as skimpy as she first thought. There were two slits on either side of the long red skirt, each going up fairly high. There was a tight off-white bodice, tied with gold lace. The bodice stopped just before it got to her upper chest, where a thin, creamy fabric shaped her curves. The red sleeves started at about her mid-arm, leaving her shoulders bare. They kept going until her elbow, where they fanned out into long trails. All in all, the dress fit Anna very well, and was very comfortable. This disturbed her somewhat, as she had never told Hao the size of _any_ parts of her body.

'_Hmmm... I wonder if Yoh would like to see me in this,_' Anna wondered absently.

"Is Prisoner Anna done yet?" Mari asked, openeing the door a crack. "Mari wishes to go to the fight,"

"I'm coming," Anna said annoyed. She stepped out into a hall.

Mari and Opacho ogled at her, then Mari turned away, mumbling something about that dress fitting herself better than Anna.

Opacho produced a blindfold. Anna stepped away.

"Miss Anna, we are only doing this so you don't remember how to get out of here,"

"Opacho should not try to reason with the Prisoner itako," Mari said, still turned. "Prisoner Anna is a stubborn fool and will not let Opacho put on the blindfold,"

"Fine," Anna said. "Blindfold me," She turned around and closed her eyes, earning stares from both girls.

Opacho tentatively put the blindfold over Anna, as if she was afraid Anna would bite her.

"Now put on this coat, Miss Anna," Opacho held out a long, hooded robe. Of course, Anna couldn't see this, so she felt around for it. Then, with some difficulty, draped it over her shoulders, and clasped it around her neck.

Opacho and Mari led Anna through a maze of hallways, during which Anna lost track of direction. After about a half an hour, Anna heard the muffled screams of people waiting for a shaman fight to begin. She was led up a flight of sairs, then down a flight of stairs, and then ushered into an isle.

Opacho took the blindfold off. Anna found herself in a front row seat, watching from behind Hao and he faced Team Len.

"Opacho?" she asked, "Shouldn't you be out there?"

"Master Hao requested I stay here today. He wanted the pleasure of destroying your old friends himself," Opacho said, sitting on Anna's left. Mari sat on Anna's right. They were both wearing cloaks like hers.

Yoh scouted the stadium for signs of Anna.

"Nothing," he said.

"C'mon Yoh, you gotta see her somewhere!" Morty ushered.

Yoh's grip tightened on the object in his hand. "Morty! There are like a thousand people here! And I'm trying to find just one!"

Yoh and Morty were startled from there search by the arrival of Silva.

"Are both teams ready?" his voice boomed through a microphone. Len nodded. Silva looked at Hao. "And where is the rest of your team?"

"Sitting right over there," Hao said, pointing to a spot behind him. "I wanted the pleasure of defeating you myself,"

"Late arrivals will not be tolerated," Silva said. '_Perhaps this is their chance to take him down, while he's only one fighting against three,_'

"I am aware of that," Hao said, "And let me assure you, I have no intention of needing their help,"

"Alright then," Silva said, "FIGHT!"

"So, that's where she is," Yoh said. He grabbed Morty and started for the other side of the stadium. Faust and Rio followed, while Pilica and Tamora reserved their seats.

Hao took the initiative. He performed giant spirit control. The Spirit of Fire materialised before them.

"Spirit of Fire, attack," Hao said calmly.

Team Len busied themselves dodging the attacks.

'_Gotta give Yoh time to find Anna,_' Len thought.

After the first two minutes of attacking, Hao could see they were stalling. But he was in no danger of tiring. He kept up the attacks. After five minutes, he stopped. Team Len stood on the ground, panting.

"Why are you stalling?" Hao asked, point-blank. "You know perfectly well I'm not in danger of tiring. And if you go on like this, you won't be able to perform giant spirit control. I thought this would be a match of men, but you run away like little cowards. Perhaps my hopes of a good match shall have to wait until I face my brother,"

"We can- give you- a good match," Len panted, "BASON!"

"Corey! Into the Icupasse!"

"Mic!"

Now there were three spirits on one.

'_Come on, Len! You can do better than this,_' Anna thought.

Opacho stood beside her. "Master Hao has this one in the bag," she turned, "I'm going for popcorn, want some, Mari?"

"No Opacho," Mari said. "Popcorn makes Mari sick,"

This left Anna with Mari. Anna didn't mind, though she was watching the match.

Len made the first attack, Hao dodged easily. Trey then attacked from behind, Hao avoided that too. Choko attacked, Hao got out of the way.

"What took you so long, Opacho? Mari was beginning to think Opacho had died,"

And in a ver un-Opacho-ish voice, the person now sitting to Anna's left said, "I ran into a mate,"

Anna looked sharply at the little midget, and was surprised when she didn't find Opacho. Her eyes widened. Morty?

Morty smiled at her, and slid something over to her. It was her scarf. Anna almost smiled back, but she felt something. Curious, she opened the scarf... to find Yoh's necklace.

Up in the hall, Yoh watched these events unfold, whilst urging Faust to keep up his hypnotics on the actual Opacho. He was surprised when he heard a cry from the audience. Distracted for a minute, his eyes came upon the match where Hao had somehow managed to get all members of Team Len wriggling on the ground in pain.

Anna happened to look up when she heard the cry, too. She gasped. Pressed for time, she unfurled the tiny peice of paper also present in her scarf.

_ Contact you at 10:00  
__Yoh_

Anna scribbled a note on the back.

_ Okay, and tell Len he owes me  
__Anna_

She handed the note to Morty, securing Yoh's necklace around her neck and placing her scarf in her cloak. She stood up. Morty read it and looked at her confusedly.

Hao raised his hand to finish Team Len off.

"Wait!" Anna shouted, just as Hao was moving in.

Hao immediately froze upon hearing Anna's voice. He turned his face to look at her. Slightly annoyed, he showed her he didn't want to be stopped, except for a good reason.

"Perhaps it would be better, Master Hao, if you saved killing them for another time," she said, slightly seductively.

Hao looked at her, confused.

"That exciting last chapter, you know. Killing all the good guys just at the very end. It makes the life after all the more enjoyable, hmmm?" she smiled at him sweetly, with a punch of seduction.

Hao smiled back at her. "Maybe you're right, dear Anna,"

Team Len stared dumbfounded at the scene.

"As for today, you already seemed to have won this match. Perhaps it calls for a little... celebration?" she turned from him and started slowly walking up the stairs.

If possible, Hao's smile widened. "I think I'd like that,"

He disappeared.

Yet another chapter. Again I'm sorry for keeping this one so long, BUSY WEEK... AND PUPPY!

thanks again for reviewing!

animebookworm


	9. Celebrations

And again. Here we are... with another chapter. Thank you very much to those who reviewed. I really do appreciate it.

And my puppy is still my inspiration giver, and so I decided to do another today.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own shaman king

So, on with the story

Anna reached the top of the stairs. She looked to her right. Standing there was Yoh, Rio, and Faust, with Opacho. She locked eyes with Yoh, telling him to let Opacho go, and that she would be there at ten to hear his contact. She gave a weak smile, turned the other direction, and ran.

Yoh waited until Morty was up the stairs and out of Opacho's cloak to signal Faust that he could stop the hypnotism. They quickly got out of the way as Opacho started to get her bearings. They hid around the wall.

Opacho turned, distracted, to see that the match was over. She went back down to her seat to see Mari.

**Celebrations**

Anna ran and turned the corner. Catching her breath. Hao appeared before her. He smiled.

"Just couldn't wait to be alone with me, hm?" he asked, grasping her waist.

Anna's mind filled with plenty of disgusting things as to that comment, as well as a few comebacks, but she had to keep these thoughts down if she was to have any chance of pulling this off.

"Could you tell?" she asked, continuing her seduction of the destroyer.

"Well, it wasn't hard. You made it _very_ apparent,"

"Hmm, and I was trying so hard to hide it," Anna pretended to pout.

"No need to be sardonic with me, Anna," Hao said, bringing her closer to him. Anna tried not to feel any emotion as she sensed the warmth of his breath upon her face.

"Well, I'll keep that in mind," Anna said, pushing him away from her. She started to walk down the corridor.

"Leaving so soon?" he called after her, apparating behind the Itako.

Anna smiled mischievously, turning back to him. "Of course! I'm not nearly decent enough for you to see me," she walked over to him and kissed his neck. "Later then?"

"Of course, Anna dear," Hao said, watching Anna walk away.

Not that he had any choice about the timing of the rendezvous. Anna was very good at this kind of thing, he had to admit. No one had made him feel the emotions he had coursing through his body other than her. Not even in his past lives. Hao now understood exactly why Yoh obeyed her every beck and call. She was harsh, yes, and undoubtedly Yoh feared her, but when she was in a good mood... the rewards were very satisfying. Hao wondered how many times Anna was in a good mood with Yoh.

Oh yes. He would look forward to making her his queen.

Anna practically wished her mouth to be cleaned out with soap. Even that would be less torturous than the things she would have to go through if she stayed with Hao. She spat on the ground, trying to get Hao's taste out of her mouth.

Had this been Yoh, she probably wouldn't have been going through this. In fact, she would have been enjoying it.

But it was not Yoh, however. Far from him.

It was his opposite.

His brother.

His twin.

And the fact that Hao was his twin would have made it easier on some people. If they couldn't have him, why not his brother? They looked the same. It should have worked. But not on her. And it was the fact that he was Yoh's twin that pinpointed that he was not Yoh, and therefore she couldn't love him.

"All set, Morty?" Yoh asked.

"Yes, Yoh, for the nth time," Morty said, clearly annoyed.

"Master Yoh, I know you are anxious to hear from her, but you must stop bothering Morty. He has made sure it is working, and besides, you said you weren't even going to talk to her until 10," Rio said.

"I know, Rio, but... I'm really worried. I'm afraid we may have gotten her into more trouble. Hao was lusting for her before, but... to save Len, Trey, and Choco's live, she practically _sold_ herself to him,"

"She didn't save our lives," Len interrupted, holding an ice pack up to his eye. "She was fraternizing with the enemy! You should be furious!"

"Actually, Len, Anna did do it to save your necks, have a look," Morty said, taking out the piece of paper from earlier.

Len read the message:

_Okay, and tell Len he owes me_

_Anna_

He stared at it dumbfounded. '_Why would Anna do that just to save us?_'

Trey wondered the same thing, only aloud.

"Perhaps she does think of us as friends after all," Choco said.

"Well of course she does!" Pilica said. "Do you see her with anybody else that'll tolerate her! We're the closest things she has to family, in case you didn't know! Anna used to have a big family. They were going on a road trip, but Anna got sick. They couldn't cancel the trip, so they found a babysitter. The next day, Anna found out that all of her eight siblings and parents died in an accident with a drunk driver who happened to be one of their fellow shaman," Pilica retold the story sadly. Only Yoh was the one not surprised.

"Pilica! I told you not to tell!" Tamora whispered nervously.

"Yea, well everyone needed to know!"

"And how exactly did you find this out?" Yoh asked, being the only one Anna ever told about her past.

"Uh..." Pilica said nervously.

"Nevermind that!" Tamora said anxiously.

"Ah, so, Tamora," Yoh rounded on her. He knew she had a slight crush on him,"How did you get that information?"

"Ah! W-we-w-we-"

"Tamora saw, alright!" Pilica said. "We were cleaning in Anna's room and came upon a scrapbook. Tammy didn't know what was in it, and she didn't think Anna kept a scrapbook, so she called me and asked. I said I didn't know, and so she opened it. Every page pieced together a new part of her past. Soon we had the whole story,"

Tamora looked down at the floor, ashamed with herself for spying.

"Well, Tamora really can't help her abilities," Yoh said. "I was just surprised. I'm the only one Anna's ever told about her past, and that was when we were six,"

"I'm so sorry, Yoh! I really didn't mean to spy! And I told Pilica we should stay quiet about this!"

"It's okay, Tamora. I told you it wasn't your fault. I don't blame you,"

"Yah, and personally, I feel more tolerant of Anna now you've told me," Trey butted in.

"Not that you didn't do everything she asked before this," Len murmured.

"Wha'd you say!"

"Absolutely nothing!"

"Y'know we never did finish our bet!"

"Not now, guys," Yoh said, leaving the room.

Unfortunately, Len and Trey didn't stop, but instead of a shaman battle, they decided on a thumb war, best out of 9. Len ended up winning this, and would have Pilica as his servant for the next day.

Anna was shoved back into her room by Mari who found Anna out in the street, when she remembered she was blindfolded on the way there and didn't know how to get back.

Anna pushed herself from the floor, turning to the mirror. She gazed at her reflection, then took off the hooded cape, once again admiring the red dress Hao had given her.

She had to say, the dress was comfortable, as were the shoes. Anna still even then pondered about Hao knew her sizes. It scared her a bit.

Granted, Yoh knew some of her sizes, such as when he had to buy a few things for her. But she had told him, and she hadn't told Hao.

She traced her curves in the mirror, admiring how the dress clung to them in the right places, and how it was made of the softest material she had ever seen...or felt.

She wondered what Hao would think of her when he saw her in it, and what Yoh would think if he ever had the chance to see her in it. She was sure she would like Yoh's reaction better, as he was her friend and fiancee, and not some freak pyromaniac who seemed to be stalking her.

Anna sighed. She heard a knock at the door.

Answering it, she found it to be a butler.

"Mistress Anna, Master Hao requests your presence after the evening meal,"

Anna was taken aback at the fact that the man called her Mistress, as if she was already above him, and not a prisoner here, and at the fact that Hao _requested_ her presence, instead of demanded it.

"Right," she answered back, absently. As and afterthought, she added, "Thank you,"

Anna knew this was coming, and she had dreaded this moment from the beginning of her imprisonment. Hao had been promised his "Celebration" and he intended to recieve it. Anna supposed it was an 'early start' on the 'spawning' that he wished to do in his new world after he became shaman king.

'_Too bad Yoh will take him down,_' she thought sarcastically. Unfortunately, that could also leave her pregnant with a baby she didn't want to have, from a father who she despised, in a world where she was engaged to another man, who didn't know that she was pregnant with his twin's baby.

Anna tried to find a way out of this sticky situation, but the only thing she could think of was to bait Hao, egg him on and leave him with nothing for his efforts. Granted, he did deserve it, but this could potentially harm her later. Hao wouldn't take it lying down. He'd come back for more, and get it, one way or another.

But at this point, it was her only option.

Anna sat pondering for hours, until she realised that it was past dinnertime, and she hadn't seen her food until it was cold. She shook off the hunger, telling herself that she really wouldn't be hungry after her little encounter with Hao, and that she would've gotten sick if she had eaten.

Opening the door quietly, she slipped out into the hall. Now she wondered how she would even find Hao's room. She stopped at the end of the hall, where she was slightly disturbed to see a sigh that said:

_Master Bedroom: Left_

Anna figured Hao would be in the master bedroom, and that he would be waiting.

She walked down the tan wallpapered hallway, coming to a lavish mahogany doorway with great designs. She faced the door, wiping the emotions from her face, then calling up the emotion of pure seduction. Her face was laced with an I-know-you-want-me-so-come-and-get-me expression.

Slowly, she opened the door.

Hao was standing looking out the window. He wasn't wearing his cloak thingy, and so his chest was bare. She had to admire that chest, it was nice. Anna let the door swing wide, and waited for Hao to see her. She was sure he knew she was here, but was trying to figure out how to start his "fun". And of course, Anna would have to go along with it.

Standing there for a few minutes, Anna decided she was bored, and casually walked into the room. She walked to him, standing behind him, and reached her hands up to his shoulders. She started to massage his back, all the while keeping her expression the same, as well as her plan of action.

Hao started to maon with the relaxation the massage brought him. After a few moments, he turned to face her. He was slightly taken aback by her expression, but quickly regained his composure.

"Hello, dear Anna,"

"Hello, Master Hao,"

"Please no 'Master', dear, it's too formal for you and me," he said, placing his hands on her waist.

Only then did he notice what she was wearing.

"Ah! The dress," he walked to his bed, "Model it for me,"

Anna turned around, walking steadily away, then turned, striking a pose. She walked back toward him, and struck another pose, this one showing a really good deal of her thigh through the slit up her side.

Hao couldn't seem to take his eyes off the creamy white skin. Anna smirked,'_Working like a charm_' she thought.

"Is that enough for you, Master?"

Hao gulped, "Yes, yes. That's quite enough modeling for now," he said quickly.

Anna exaggerated the swaying of her hips as she walked over to the bed where he was sitting. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him, and leaned toward him, showing him a decent part down her bodice.

"Master?" she asked. "I was curious, why did you pick out _this_ dress for me?"

Hao, now catching on to the game she was playing, smiled. "Well, I think it makes you look adorable," he said, caressing her cheek with his right hand, "Not that you need this dress to look beautiful. I think you would be beautiful in anything... or nothing,"

A red tint showed itself upon her skin. Even if he was Yoh's brother, he did something to her.

He leaned forward, finally capturing her lips with his. She responded, as part of her plan. For a moment she could see Yoh instead of Hao coming toward her. '_Please, Yoh, give me strength,_' She dwelled slightly on how Yoh would react in this situation. He probably wouldn't be pushing her away, but he certainly wouldn't be moving to take advantage of her, as was the strategy of his twin brother.

Hao was getting tired of just straight kissing, so he opted to make it more interesting. He licked her lips. Anna subconciously opened her mouth to his tongue, and was quite surprised when she realised she had let it into her mouth. Hao started to push her down onto the bed by her arms. He quickly leaned over her, so as not to break their intimate frolics, and soon found himself on top of her.

Anna was having a hard time keeping audible sounds from eminating from her mouth. True, she didn't want to be with Hao, but human lust instinct was taking over. This had not been part of her plan, actually enjoying what Hao was doing to her. '_If only it were Yoh,_' she thought to herself. She doubted Yoh would touch her after being with his brother, but she would just love to see him again, and get away from Hao. '_And that should be good enough for me,_'

Hao started to shape the contours of her body with his mischievous hands.

Shoulders...

Chest...

Waist...

Too low!

Anna quickly pushed him off her, panting. The kiss had gone on awhile, not to mention the heat she was cultivating from his antics. Still not aggreeing to stop, he started to kiss her neck.

"Master," she said, "As much as I am yours, I do believe that is a bit too formal for my liking,"

He stopped. "I do suppose you're right, Anna. And I told you not to call me 'Master',"

"If you say so, Hao,"

"Hm, that name sounds so right upon your lips," he leaned in for another kiss. Anna quickly pushed him, and got out from underneath him.

"I think that is also enough for tonight, I have to save _some_ things for later,"

Hao pouted, but didn't disagree as she swang her hips through his doorway, and closed the door behind her.

Anna went and promptly gargled in her bathroom. She would have thrown up, but she didn't know how long she would have to put up with Hao and didn't want to waste precious body fluids.

She came out of the bathroom and went over to her desk, where the one item she prized more now than anything, lay. Yoh's necklace. She hoped he could forgive her from what she had to do to see him again. She turned to the clock. 9:59. Yoh said he would contact her in a minute.

She slid over to the bed, taking the necklace with her. She didn't know how he would contact her, and quite frankly, it baffled her that they would be able to speak at all.

A crackling noise came from nearby.

"Anna?" a voice sounded. Yoh's voice.

"Yoh? Is that you? Where are you!"

"I had Morty fix my necklace with a walkie-talkie. Neat, huh!"

Anna looked down at the object clutched in her hands. The widest smile she ever conjured crossed her face. She would have to buy the shrimp an ice cream if she got out of this.

"It's one of Shorty's best ideas yet," Anna said. "Y'know, if he sold these he would make a lot of money,"

"I know! He said he'll take the idea to his father's company after the tournament... we don't really sould like we haven't talked to each other in days, do we?"

"Not at all," she said, a tear slowly making its way down her cheek. "There's nobody else in the room with you, right?"

"No...um... I know you probably don't want to talk about it but,... how has he been?"

"What do you mean?"

"Y'know... How has he treated you? Has he touched you? Has he hurt you? Did he... do anything to you?"

"So far, uh... he's treated me pretty nicely, you know, good meals, hot baths, that sort of thing. But... well you saw what I did at the stadium today! I promised him a celebration and..." she trailed off.

"He didn't!"

"Not all the way Yoh, but what was I supposed to do! We're playing by his rules and-" Anna stopped abruptly, hearing something in the hall.

"Anna?"

"SHHH!" she urged. She fell back onto the bed and pretended to be asleep.

She opened her eyes slightly as she watched Hao step into her room. He walked lightly over to the bed, gazing upon the "sleeping" Anna.

"You really are something, Anna," He started. " I never thought someone could sleep so quickly after a little rendezvous with moi... But I suppose you prove me wrong more and more,"

_'He knows I'm not asleep!_' Anna thought.

"Ah, and what's this?" he paused looking at her clutched hand. He carefully slid it open to reveal the necklace. Anna wanted to close her hand, but then Hao would know she wasn't asleep. "Ah,ah,ah, Anna. You should know better than to keep something of my brother's, it's not very nice to steal. I'll have to... _punish_ you later, but for now, I'll let you _sleep,_" Hao put the necklace in his pocket, and walked out.

On the bed, Anna shed silent tears.

And another chapter... only today isn't the same day as the tip of the page, so I'm really sorry for the late update. I put some HaoxAnna in, in case you're one of those fans... although if you were, I don't see why you would be reading this anyway since the summary clearly states that it's YohxAnna. Oh well!

Thanks to reviewers!

Again sorry for the late update!

animebookworm


	10. Contemplations

And another chapter. I hope never to use HaoxAnna again (especially since I have been threatened) and hope that this chapter will go in the direction I want it to.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own shaman king

(A/N: Do you have to include the disclaimer in every chapter, or is it just at the beginning of the story?)

Anyway, on with the chapter!

Anna awoke to find herself in a white nightgown. This disturbed her a bit since when she went to bed, she hadn't changed. Anna's thoughts mulled over who could have changed her, and then she decided she didn't want to go there.

She stepped of the bed to find a pair of fuzzy white slippers. And although fuzzy wasn't her thing, it was the only pair of shoes at her disposal.

**Contemplations**

She decided to clear her head, and so walking over to the window, she found that it lead out to a balcony. Looking out over the white railing, she saw the sun over the trees. She sighed. It was so pretty. Not that she'd ever say that to anyone of course.

Looking around to try and find where she was, she saw that the balcony wasn't enclosed. It led down an outdoor walkway about halfway up the building. Walking along this, she turned a corner. She noticed then that the balcony walkway ended at another window-door.

Peering in, she immediately recognised the room as Hao's. How could she forget what had happened yesterday? And Hao had taken the necklace. Yoh's necklace. Her only reminder of him, and her only chance to talk to him.

Cursed with a sudden bravery and curiosity, she moved to the window and found it open. She peered inside again, this time noticing Hao asleep on the bed. Creeping inside, she got her bearings.

'_Now if I were a necklace taken by my twin after I gave it to my fiancee when she was taken by said twin, where would I hide? Or, where would he hide me?'_

Anna found the necklace without much difficulty, after all, it was on Hao's dresser. She smiled at the sheer easiness of it all, and then heard Hao stir. She gasped and stuffed the necklace down her nightgown so that Hao couldn't take it from her again.

She tried to flee to the window, but Hao's voice stopped her cold.

"It's a bit early to be visiting me, isn't it, dear?"

Anna cringed and turned around. She had almost been out of the room. Putting on her act she answered. "I apologise, Master. I was looking around. If this is to be my new home, I figure I should at least know my way around. How fortunate for me that my balcony leads all the way to yours,"

"Ah yes, for late night meetings and rendezvous," He smiled. Anna almost gagged. "Anyway, looking around will be of no use to you. I shall build a castle once we wipe out the planet, and then you shall have to learn your way around there. Although, my bedroom should be easy to find, it will be the same as yours,"

Anna smiled half-heartedly.

"Now look at me," Anna said trying desperately to find a way to leave. "I am again nearly too indecent for you to see me. I shall go back to my room, and put on some nice clothes. Maybe then we can resume our chat,"

She gracefully got herself outside, and then ran back to her room, locking the window-door behind her.

She panted after the run, and pulled off her nightgown. Putting on a bra, she looked for the closet. Seeing it after a few moments, she leisurely walked over to it and started leafing through the dresses, none of which were black.

She decided on the least revealing dress, a blue, floor-length medieval gown (not that she had much choice, they were all medieval-looking), made of velvet. It had no sleeves. A gold chain encircled the waist, to give the dress a hint of color variation.

The dress again fit her perfectly, which again disturbed her.

She pulled Yoh's necklace from where she had put it on the dresser, and walked to her bed.

She tried speaking into it. "Yoh?... Yoh are you there? Can you hear me?..."

_"Yoh?... Yoh are you there? Can you hear me?..."_

The boy in question was actually asleep by the dresser, having witnessed the conversation between Hao and Anna, and knowing it would not be okay to speak. He had waited to see if Anna would get the necklace back, and in the process heard Hao talking to himself about his fiancee.

_"She really is something... It really is no wonder that my brother listens to her, she can be very satisfying when she's in a good mood... Hmmm, I wonder what unusual_ 'punishment' _I shall give her... I could make her stay with me for a whole night, that would drive her just crazy... or I could take her on a hot spring trip with me, that'd be interesting... or I could just ask of her what she fears I'll ask,... that would be very interesting... the thing she fears I'll ask... and I could just threaten her precious EX-fiancee as bait to get her to do what I want... yes, that would be something..."_

Yoh had zoned out of what he was saying. He had heard enough. He started to think about the thing Anna may fear he'll ask the most. It would probably be something more than what they did earlier. Yoh could only imagine that too. But whilst he was imagining, he couldn't help but ask himself if Anna would ever do that to him. AND WHAT DID HE MEAN EX-FIANCEE!

_'Anna's still mine in her heart... she'll never be with him,'_ Yoh tried to calm himself down.

_'**Whaddya mean! You know she'll crack sooner or later. And it's not like you ever made any sexual advances on her!'**_

_'Shut up!_'

**_'Oh! So just tell me, what have you ever done to make Anna feel you want her?_'**

_'**I thought so,**_

_'HEY! It's not for lack of wanting!-_'

**_'Oho! And the truth comes out!_'**

_'I'm a fourteen year-old GUY for goodness sake! And she's my fiancee!_'

**_'But you still haven't touched her, or told her. And now your twin brother comes along and does something you can't,...I bet it just drives you crazy doesn't it?... To know she's with another guy, who's your brother, not to mention twin, so she's got the same physical aspects... you look the same, talk the same, even live to kill each other... she really doesn't need you...not while she's got him,_'**

_'Yes she does need me...Hao doesn't and will never understand her like I do!_'

_'**So you like her... and are now jealous of Hao's interest in her,**_

_'Jealous? Me?... But I-... I don't-... Am I really jealous?_'

**_'That's what it sounds like to me, bud,_'**

_'Well... this complicates things a bit..._'

_**'You mean to say, after all these years, you never thought about Anna as anything more than a friend/ person your grandparents assigned you to marry?' **_

_'Heck, no! It's not that! It's just... I guess I never thought I'd ever have competition, I mean, none of my friends take an interest in her, and she doesn't seem to want anybody else..._'

**_'You mean to say, you haven't noticed that your friends noticed how Anna's... _grown_, over the past few years. Well then wake up! They've noticed, Yoh! And you know they've noticed! How can they not! You just think that they know Anna's yours, and think that they have their eyes on some other girls, namely Pilica and Tamora in Len's and Trey's cases,'_**

_'So... I like Anna... I am jealous of Hao getting to her first... and I have to come to terms with the fact that I do have competition fighting against me for the girl I love... Wait- did I just say "love"?_'

_**'Jeez, bud! You've got it bad! And you're not too bright upstairs, if you know what I'm saying,'**_

_'...I don't know what you're saying,_'

_**'Oh well! My purpose was to get you to figure out that you love her and need to win her back from Hao, and that's been done, so the crazy voice in your head will go away now!'**_

"Well I suppose I should thank the crazy voice in my head," Yoh said aloud. He immediately covered his mouth, hoping that Hao hadn't heard what he'd said. He sighed with relief when he heard the sound of distant snoring.

"I suppose I should get Morty to turn this off for the night but- I'm sleepy-"

He fell asleep right then and there.

And he awakened once again tuned out of his surroundings.

He walked into the room that Morty, Rio, Faust, and he shared. He found Morty once again to be the first one awake.

"Heya, Morty. I think this thing ran out of batteries," he said sleepily. "We should charge it, or shut it off at least,"

"Alright, Yoh," Morty yawned. "How did it go with Anna last night?"

"Not too well," Yoh replied, sitting down on the bed that would have been his, had he actually slept in this room the previous night. "Hao actually confiscated the necklace last night while Anna pretended to be asleep. I dunno if she's got it back yet,"

"But then Hao could be hearing this conversation right now!"

"Well, that's why you should shut it off, then!"

"Whew! It's okay. You're right, Yoh. It ran out of battery power. I'll charge it and it should be back in use tonight,... that is if Anna has it back,"

"Hey! Yoh! Dude! How'd it go with Anna last night!" Trey asked, rushing in, along with Tamora, Pilica, and Len. Rio and Faust had awakened in all the commotion, and now everyone was waiting to hear what had happened.

"Well, I talked to her for about two minutes..." Yoh paused.

"Yes!" Rio said.

"And then Hao came, Anna pretended to be asleep, and Hao took the necklace,"

"WHAT!"

"Aw, man! Talk about dramatic tension!" Trey said.

"Do you even know what 'dramatic tension' means?" Pilica asked.

"I do so!"

"Oh really! Enlighten us!"

"Now, Pilica! Don't pick on your brother like that! And you wonder why he picks on you," Tamora defended Trey.

"Thanks Tammy,"

"Actually, I think Pilica has a point," Len defended Pilica, "Not to mention it's just fun to pick on him,"

"Thank you, Len," Pilica said, sticking her tongue out at Trey.

"You won't be thanking him when he's ordering you around since you're his servant for the day!" Trey shot back.

A silence followed. Pilica's face became sullen. She glanced over at Len, who wore a look of slight...embarassment?

"Well then, who want's some breakfast?" Tamora said timidly.

And yet another chapter. I want to thank all the reviewers.

I know this chapter wasn't the most exciting one, but bear with me!

animebookworm


	11. Contemplations 2

And yet another chapter! YAY! **Thanks to all who reviewed!** I really appreciate it!

Anyway, since no one got back to me on the disclaimer:

**Disclaimer:** I don't own shaman king... MAN I'm getting tired of writing that!

And so, on again with the story!

Anna didn't know what to do. She could leave the room, but that could result in meeting Hao, or she could stay in the room, and technically starve herself because food was no longer being brought to her. In any case, she would keep Yoh's necklace with her, in case he tried to contact her again.

Around lunchtime, she was so hungry that she didn't really care about meeting Hao, and tried to sneak around in search of food.

What she found was a large dining room, vaulted celings, stone fireplace, gold wallpaper, a long mahogany dining table, and Hao at the head of said table.

**Conpemplations 2**

"Good Afternoon, dear Anna!" He greeted enthusiastically. "I suspect you didn't come down to breakfast because you weren't feeling hungry?"

She put on the facade, "Of course, Master. What other reason could there be?"

"Well one would think you may not want to see someone who may be present at breakfast,"

"And who would I not want to see?" she countered.

"Hm..." Anna had played that one well, "Mari,... or Opacho maybe,"

Anna sighed inwardly, "Well you got me, Master. The way they treated me yesterday was appalling, I still haven't gotten over it and didn't want to meet them this morning,"

"Well have no fear, Anna, Mari and Opacho aren't invited to my breakfasts, just me... and you,"

"Well, aren't I lucky," she felt that sentence reek of sarcasm.

"I expect then, that you must be very hungry,... famished almost,"

"Oh yes, Master. Very hungry,"

"Well lunch is almost here, and how many times now has it been that I told you not to call me master?"

"Two, Master,"

"Well make it three,"

"Yes,...Hao,"

Len sat on the living room sofa. He was mulling over the events of this morning. It really was dramatic tension, as Trey had put it, that just as Yoh had spoken to Anna, Hao took that away.

He was so busy with his thoughts that he didn't hear or sense someone come in behind him.

Pilica had been walking down the hall in search of her "master" for the day. She found him in the living room, concentrating very hard on something. She sneaked in and sat down on the couch beside him. He still didn't see her.

"Len?" she ventured.

Len's head snapped up. "Don't sneak up on me like that, woman!"

"Awww, did I make the great Tao Len scared?"

"Of course not, it's just that... well sometimes people need to think,"

"You're thinking about Anna," Pilica said, somewhat downcast.

"If you must know, yes. I was kicked out of the shaman tournament by one of my best friend's brothers, and this said friend's fiancee saved my life from that said brother... It's a bit complicated to think about. I never leave a debt unpaid, and I suppose I owe Anna the most,"

"So you're going to help find her?"

"I'll try, but I'm afraid I won't do much good. This seems like an Asakura family matter, and I really don't want to get in the middle of an Asakura battle,"

"I agree. Who would want to be stuck in the middle of Yoh and Hao... not literally of course!"

"Ew! Pilica! I didn't need to see that!"

"I'm sorry! It just slipped out!"

"...You know, that is the fastest apology I've ever heard you give,"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, it usually takes 5-10 minutes for you to say sorry to your brother. And sometimes you're so stubborn you won't say sorry at all,"

"Well, that's just me, I guess,"

"Yeah, I guess so,"

"... Hey wait- you _time_ how long it takes me to say sorry to my brother!"

"No! It's just a rough approximation!"

"... Well then, this is awkward,"

"..."

"You know, you can leave if you want," Len ventured.

"Whaddya mean?"

"I'm not going to ask you to do anything, so you technically don't have to be my slave for the day,"

"...really?"

"If you want to,... otherwise you could stay here and we'll pretend to be master and slave just to fool your brother,"

"...Run option two by me again,"

Below, Trey was grumbling to Tamora, who was cooking lunch.

"And why his slave! Is it not enough that he teases us already! She has to be his _slave_!"

"I'm sure it won't be that bad,"

"What do you mean! Of course it'll be bad! He'll be ordering her around left and right! I never thought an Ainu would ever have to stoop this low,"

"What was the original argument anyway?"

"... y'know, I don't remember,"

"Anyway, I'm sure Len won't do anything to her, he's not that bad to you, and you haven't seen the way he looks at her-" she shot her hands up to her mouth.

"Ahem, what was that last thing?"

"Nothing! Lunch is ready!" she immediately brought over a huge bowl of soup for Trey.

He immediately forgot what happened prior to the bowl of hot soup being put in front of him, and started eating madly.

Pilica walked in.

"Len asked me to get some lunch for him," she stated simply.

Trey stopped gorging and started to glare.

Tamora quickly brought two normal-sized bowls of soup and gave them to Pilica, and ushered her out of the kitchen.

"Ordering her left and right!" Trey shouted at Tamora, who cringed.

Down the hall, Pilica heard this shout. She smiled.

"Hey, Len!" she greeted in his bedroom, giving him the bowl of soup.

"Well! How'd it go!"

"Ha! You should have seen the look on his face! This's gonna be fun!"

Yoh sat staring at the transmitter. He wondered if he should try her now.

_'No, she could be with Hao, and that'll just get her into more trouble,_'

And so he still sat, staring at the transmitter, thinking about a girl who was not-so-far away.

The said girl was currently at the end of a long Mahogany table full of food.

_'Trey would love it here,_' she thought.

"Go ahead, eat up!" her captor waved from the end of the table.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Each keeping to their own thoughts.

Hao broke the silence, "Anna, I came upon a certain artifact while in your room yesterday,"

"An artifact?" she pretended not to know.

"Yes, and I took the artifact in question, Yoh's necklace,"

"Yoh's... necklace, sire?"

"Yes, dear Anna, I found it in your grasp last night,"

"...Oh! That! It's not his! He gave it to me prior to the shaman tournament, he still has his. I was going to throw it away last night when I fell asleep,"

"Ah, well," he thought. _'There go all my plans for punishing her, Oh well, what can you do?_'

TBC!

YAYNESS! THIS ONLY TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE

I know this didn't really forward the plot, but I was intent on putting a little HxT and LxP in here.

animebookworm


	12. Contemplations 3

HEY EVERYBODY! I'm really sorry about the late chapter-- my computer broke down and we had to get a totally new one! Not that I'm really complaining-- It's a flatscreen 17" modem, but still, I couldn't get any data off my old computer so the chapter I was gonna upload was technically "deleted" and so now I have to start all over! 

Thanks to all who reviewed!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

And Onto the chapter-- that I had to write... again

* * *

Anna reached her room after luch surprisingly full and satisfied. Hao had reluctantly let her go after she told him she wished to take a nap. And although Hao had let her go, she would not be surprised if he turned up in her room in a few minutes.

Quickly, she took the necklace out of her hiding spot. Staring at it thoughtfully, she climbed up onto her bed, the last spot where she had talked to her fiancee. It seemed so long ago, when it had only been a few hours. My how time passed by slowly when you're away from the one you love.

**Title**

There, she said it. She was in love with the lazy-boy Yoh Asakura. The girl with no emotion had finally cracked. She was totally and completely in love with the fool and she didn't know how to express it, not even to herself. She had tried to deny it. Void of any emotion she was, and that was the way she originally thought she would stay. But she never denied things that she knew were true, and so she just had to come to terms with it.

And look at what he'd made her do so far! In the past DAY she'd cried, smiled, and even felt fear! She'd felt things she'd never felt before! And she didn't particularly like that.

Now that the initial shock of being kidnapped was over, she essentially had had time for the logic of her mind to come through with explanations for things. She had made one conclusion so far, that Yoh Asakura was the start of all this emotion, and that he would be where it would stop.

She knew she couldn't stop feeling these things until she was back with the person whom she felt was her home, her life.

Anna hadn't loved in a long time, so long, that she'd even forgot what it felt like.

And when she started to get this strange feeling in her stomach,

that woozy,

achy,

breathtaking,

sick feeling,

right in the pit of her stomach,

she had no idea what it was.

All she could gather was that it came most when Yoh was around.

And that she didn't want it to stop.

It somehow felt...

right,

safe,

warm,

and incredibly... unlike her.

Maybe that's what attracted her to it. The fact that it was so different...

...just like him.

And perhaps the fact that it eminated from him was what led her to be incredibly attached to him in the first place. He was the closest thing she'd had to family since...

the accident.

And he was the only one who could really tolerate her.

Perhaps that's why she loved him.

She had loved her family, oh yes! But when they died...

Anna never thought she would feel loved or cherished again.

And then stupid ol' Yoh Asakura had to come along and make her _feel_. Make her gorw so attached to that feeling, the one she felt before but couldn't place, the one that only came from one person, him.

The one she wished she could have felt for the rest of her childhood,

for then, maybe she wouldn't have turned out like this.

But she also never would have met him.

It was true. Had her parents and siblings NOT died, they never would have been introduced.

She wouldn't have become and Itako.

She wouldn't have met her new family.

She wouldn't be a fiancee.

She would be a normal teen.

But she wouldn't have met him.

And somehow, having him was what made all the pain of turning out like she was, go away.

And she started to cry.

* * *

The subject of Anna's thoughts was not-so-very-far away, trying desperately to hurry the charging of a battery in a certain walkie-talkie.

"Hey Morty!" he called. "If I plug this cable in, will it charge faster!"

"No, Yoh!" the short blonde called back.

"What if I-"

"No, Yoh!"

"But what about-"

"NO YOH!" Morty shouted directly in his face. Yoh looked stupefied that Morty could yell. Morty looked guilty, and then calmed. "Nothing will make it go faster, Yoh, you'll just have to wait,"

"If I turn it on now, will it work?"

Morty paused carefully before answering. He didn't think Yoh should try it now, especially since Hao could be with Anna. But he also didn't want to lie. "Yes, Yoh. If you turn it on while it's on the charger, it'll work,"

"Really!" Yoh hastily turned to put on the power.

"But wait, Yoh!... Maybe you should wait anyway, y'know, in case Anna's with Hao or something,"

"But I just want to see if she's there, and if she got the talkie back," Yoh said._ 'And even hearing her voice at this point would help,'_

Morty paused again. "Alright. But we have to extra quiet, just in case,"

Yoh quickly and quietly turned on the walkie-talkie.

At first they heard nothing but static.

But static turned to something else when they realised that it was tears.

"Is that Anna..._crying?_"

This statement seemed to attract silence from all over the house. In moments, the rest of the gang was in the room, listening intently to the noise on the walkie-talkie.

They heard for themselves the sound of the ice queen's tears.

"Stupid, stupid, Yoh!" Anna sobbed softly.

Yoh looked at Morty, pleading for permission to say something to her, to comfort her.

Morty looked uncertain, but Yoh made his case.

"She's not with Hao," he whispered. "Anna would never let Hao see her cry,"

Yoh's logic dawned on Morty, and he slowly nodded.

"Anna?" Yoh whispered into the walkie-talkie.

"Yoh?" Anna whispered softly, staring at the piece of electonics before her.

And ironically, that's when there was a knock on her door.

"Haven't fallen asleep yet, I see?" came the cruel voice from the man who was her captor.

Anna sniffed silently, and dried her tears, determined not to let Hao see her cry. She kneeled on her bed.

"No, sire," she replied. She silently begged that if it was Yoh she actually heard, he would stay quiet.

"Well, then. You won't mind if I come and join you, will you?"

"Of course not sire," she said, inwardly wincing. What a scene this must have been to Yoh on the walkie-talkie. She hoped no one else was listening.

Hao did a flying leap onto the bed, landing on top of her, straddling her waist. His knee landed on the necklace.

The necklace shattered.

Anna gasped.

"Hmm, surprised?" Hao asked, mistaking her gasp, tracing her sides with his hands.

Now, she prayed no one was listening.

Yoh and the others waited with bated breath.

"Anna?" Yoh tried again.

"Haven't fallen asleep yet, I see?"

Yoh and the gang inwardly gasped, their surprise evident on their faces.

"No, sire"

"Well then you won't mind if I come and join you?"

Yoh was getting mad now. The others slowly backed away from him, making sure that if he decided to vent, it would not be on them. They had seen what an Asakura can do when angry, and they didn't have to see it on a personal level.

"Hmm, surprised?"

Yoh put down the walkie-talkie now, so as not to inadvertantly break it.

Silence.

And then a stifled moan over the line.

Had Yoh been holding the walkie-talkie, he would have dropped it.

The others all gasped, then immediately covered their mouths, trying to take back their noise so that Hao didn't hear it.

But they didn't hear a break in the activity over the line.

He hadn't heard them.

Yoh, curious now if he could stop the activity, reached for the walkie.

"No! Don't, Yoh!" Morty shouted, then had two hands slapped over his mouth by Pilica and Jun.

Yoh withdrew his hand.

"They can't hear us," he stated.

The rest all exhaled their gasped breaths.

They listened in silence to the scene...

some unwillingly using their imaginations to convey the movements of the two people on the line...

and some just staring into space, trying desperately _not_ to hear the activity.

"Hao, STOP!" They heard Anna shout.

Yoh once again moved toward the talkie, as if it could take him to her so he could rescue his damsel.

"Is something wrong, my dear?"

Yoh almost threw up, along with everybody else.

Yoh could hear Anna trying to catch her breath.

Anna quickly came up with a lie. "I'm sorry, Master. It's just so overwhelming that I- I need some space to sort it all out,"

"What's overwhelming?" they heard Hao ask.

"Everything!" Anna shot back, "Being kidnapped, becoming a queen, _your advances_- It's just a little too much to bear,"

"... I see,"

"Not that I don't think I'll get used to them!" she added quickly, almost as if she was scared of getting in trouble, "But... you see... I..."

"You still like him don't you?"

"What?"

"Yoh. You still like him,"

"What do you mean?- I- I don't-"

"You do," they heard a door shut faintly.

Yoh turned off the walkie-talkie.

He had heard enough

TBC!

* * *

THANKS to all reviewers! I LUV YOU ALL!

AND

before you kill me for adding more Haoxanna, plz don't! I won't be able to finish the story if you kill me, and it adds dramatic tension!

I'm sorry!

I'll try not to add any more! I really will!

animebookworm


	13. News

And I'm trying to make up for the accidental deletion of mt other stories, so I'll put up another today.

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the fic!

Oh! And I forgot to put the title on the last one, which was Contemplations 3-- but you already knew that, didn't you?

* * *

Anna sat in her bed, crying.

Yes, she was crying-- again!

The necklace had been broken. She would never be able to talk to Yoh again.

_'Unless he wins,'_ she reminded herself.

_'But even if he did win..._

_...he'd never want me back,_

_he's heard what Hao's done to me now, I can't soften the blow,_

_or-- at least I think he's heard. But I really don't know that now, do I? The connection may have been totally smashed and he couldn't hear anything,_

_then again, I dn't even know if he was lestening at all._

_I thought I heard his voice, saying my name, calling to me, trying to help,_

_but it could have been my imagination,_

_the imagination I didn't even know I had until I fantasized I could have you,_

**News  
**

Yoh's friends kept quiet for the rest of the day, as much as they wanted to converse about Anna's predicament.

Yoh sometimes heard snioppets of conversations. About Anna. About him.

These conversations ceased when hea walked into the room.

They were no doubt bewildered. They had actually heard the ice queen melt! But they felt Yoh wouldn't want to talk about it, and they respected his privacy.

But they didn't understand.

Yoh wanted to talk, have someone who would listen, have someone who would make him explain how he felt. He needed to talk, get the thoughts out of his head, aske people how they felt, what they thought.

But the only person who ever made him explain anything was her.

The exact person he wanted to talk about.

The person he desperately wanted to talk _to_.

The person whose clone he needed right now so he could vent and clear his mind about her.

But she wasn't here, and she didn't have a clone, so he had to settle for someone else.

Perhaps two people, a boy and a girl, one who would see it his way, and the other who would see it from Anna's.

It was only after he was sitting in a room with Tamora and Trey that he felt awkward.

* * *

Anna attempted to stay away from Hao, but the task was proving difficult.

She was, after all, in his house.

He had all the keys,

knew all the hiding places,

and seemed to want to walk around a lot.

In the end, Anna decided to take a nap on the balcony outside her window, after seeing Hao walk by her door for the umpteenth time.

Perhaps a nap would let her become the actual Anna again, and not this emotional wreck who thought her fiancee hated her, and who thought her fiancee's brother was lusting after her.

* * *

"Well, Yoh?" Tamora asked politely.

"I needed to talk to somebody... y'know about this morning,"

Trey and Tamora suddenly looked uncomfortable, fidgeting in their seats, and finding the floor and cieling very interesting.

"I just need to clear my head," he pleaded, "I'll try not to vent," he said, a forced smile coming to his face.

Trey and Tamora simultaneously let out a breath they didn't know they were holding, and smiled back at him.

"Anna's obviously going through a lot," he started.

"No kidding!" Trey replied. "What do you think Hao was doing to her back there?"

"Probably the same thing all evil guys do to the women they capture," Tamora said, nonchalantly.

"Oh?" Trey asked, suspiciously, "And what is that?"

Her face darkened. "Use her and abuse her," Tamora said, sounding uncannilly calm talking about this subject, of all things. The shy little Tamora had found her voice.

Trey and Yoh gasped. They sort of knew where she was headed, but they didn't think she would put it so blatantly.

"Are you okay, Tammy?" Trey asked the pink-haired girl.

Tamora's face lit and she once again turned to the girl they knew, "Of course,"

"You kinda went all weird on us there," Yoh said.

"I'm sorry," Tamora said, "But Kino told me about this, and I was only a kid. And it chills me to think that such a strong woman like Anna would let someone do that to her,"

"Well I don't think she had a choice," a female said, coming in from the hall.

"Pilica!" Trey shouted, "You were listening!" he asked sounding alarmed. Yoh couldn't decipher what Trey was more angry about-- that she was listening, or that she was listening to what subject they were talking about.

"Pilica? Where are you?"

"Over here, master!" she almost giggled. Trey's fists clenched even tighter.

Len walked in.

"Anyway," Pilica continued. "He probably pressured her into it, or she was trying to get on his good side by playing the evil seductress,"

"Evil seductress?" Yoh gulped.

"Real old trick," Pilica explained. "A woman simply goes along with her captor's plans, gaining his trust and waiting for the best time to strike. Otherwise, it would be suicide,"

"I bet that's what Anna's doing," Trey emphasized, forgetting momentarily about Pilica and Len.

"But then, she's letting him do that to her," Yoh said, sounding as if he liked pressure better.

"Only so she can come back to us," Tamora tried to soften his outlook.

"But..."

"Yoh, you'd like her anyway, even if she wasn't a... ahem, anymore," Trey said, earning sharp glares form everyone. "What? He would!"

"Yes but, I think he'd still prefer it if she was," Len said.

Everyone nodded uncomfortably.

Yoh's blood boiled, "If I get my hands on Hao, I'll-"

A bell rang.

"Looks like you got your chance, man," Trey said, looking at Yoh's Oracle Bell.

Team Star  
Tomorrow, Shaman Colosseum, Noon.

"So, tomorrow will make it or break it,"

* * *

Not so far away, Anna awoke from her nap.

It had done nothing to ease her thoughts.

Near her, on the balcony, she spotted Hao, sitting outside his window.

A bell rang.

Hao looked at his arm.

A huge smile spread across his face,

And Anna knew.

TBC!

* * *

Thank you all for reviewing!

animebookworm


	14. The Battle Begins

Shaman King! Another chappy! I'm working on getting another chapter for Mothers up on Father's day

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Thanks to all who reviewed!

Onto the chapter!

Anna gasped at the look on Hao's face.

This was it.

He would have to fight Yoh.

And only one could win.

She knew who she'd be silently rooting for.

**The Battle Begins**

She stood dumbfounded upon the balcony.

This was when Hao noticed her.

"Ah! Anna!" he walked over to her down the walkway. "You'll be pleased to know that I've just recieved word of a Shaman Battle... and you won't believe who our opponents are!"

"Yoh," She choked out, somewhere between disbelief and sobbing.

"Wow, I guess you really could believe," Hao said haphazardly, waving it off. "And soon, the Shaman King title will be mine for the taking, and then you will be a queen, Anna,"

Anna nodded slowly, finding it hard to keep up her act under the circumstances.

"You'll have the place of honor at the stadium, of course, and you'll root for me all the way, won't you, Anna?"

Anna nodded slowly again.

"And so, I shall go and strategize with my team members, if you'll excuse me first,"

He pushed past her.

"Oh, and Anna," he said. Anna turned around.

He quickly pressed his lips to hers. She squealed in surprise, but before she could thoroughly push him off her, he was gone.

Yoh and his friends stared at the Oracle Bells for a long time, pondering in silent thought.

_'This is it... will I die? I hope I die rather than Master Yoh,... but what of my hair!'_

_'Oh, man! What if he dies!... Hey that smells like food!'_

_'Well, I hope he isn't humiliated. There goes that idiot Indian dreaming about food again, his sister's nothing like him!'_

_'Hmmm... should I break a joke to crack the silence? Naa, pointy-head wouldn't appreciate it, especially not when he's off in thought. Probably about Pilica,'_

_'Hey, maybe I'll join Eliza in the afterlife,'_

_'Perhaps Yoh ought to resign,... but then he'll never get Anna back. Darn me and my logic!'_

_'Morty looks mad, I hope he'll help Yoh get Miss Anna back, she'd know what to do,'_

_'Oh, Len looks sooo cool when he's thinking... what should we do to annoy my brother next?'_

_'Will I ever see Anna again? Will I ever get her back? Will I ever tell her I- love her?'_

And so, the group sat in silence, staring into space, or sometimes at people. Then, Yoh broke the silence.

"Noon," he said. "This'll all go down tomorrow at noon. Team Asakura, we have until then to prepare,"

He stood and exited the room.

The next day brought dawning apprehension on Team Asakura. They were in tough shape, having not slept well the previous night. Tamora made sure they had a good breakfast, but what good would it do if all members were asleep on their feet? Yoh looked around sleepily and sadly at everyone in the room. Would he ever see his friends again? But what of his fiancee? Now too depressed for words, he turned back to his breakfast and started eating.

He didn't want to admit it, but breakfast had helped him alot. After the meal, he felt more refreshed, and could think more clearly. He took a morning jog around Dobe Village, trying to get out of his fog and come up with a strategy. His efforts proved fruitless. He returned to the house still in a daze and without any thought of a strategy.

His teammates hadn't had much luck with a strategy that morning either. Rio had taken four cold showers, and Faust had asked his darling Eliza for suggestions.

Noon came too quickly for the Team. They left the house to get to the stadium early, and when they arrived, it was five of. They sluggishly walked into the locker room, with no strategy and no thought.

"Maybe," Rio suggested, "We'll come up with a strategy in the heat of action," he hoped to restore spirit to his other two team members. It didn't wirk much.

At precisely noon, a presider came into the locker room and told them it was time for the match. He heartily wished the team good luck, and told them he sincerely hoped that the team would be able to fend off Hao and his forces. He wanted them to be kicked out of the tournament.

As if this wan't enough pressure, the Great Spirit would be watching the match today, picking his favorite for Shaman King out of the remaining teams. This was the last team battle to be fought-- and then the spirit wiould make his decision

Already sweating from nerves and pressure, Team Asakura walked onto the field, looking as bedraggled and incompetitive as ever.

When Hao saw them he chucked slightly. "Not feeling yourself today, otouto?"

Yoh was too tired to make a remark back, but he put a determined look upon his face and willed his emotions to match the confidence in his expression.

Silva walked out into the stadium. The crowd went wild. Yoh could distinctly hear some of his friends shouting complements and encouraging phrases. Silva raised his hand, immediately quieting everyone down.

"The shaman battle between Team Asakura and Team Star is about to start! Are all Team members ready?" Nods from all three players on both teams. "Good. Then let the match begin, FIGHT!"

Team Star made the first move. Opacho and Mari (who he had chosen for this match) separated and acted to corner Rio and Faust. The said two then engaged in battle one-on-one with the two girls, without oversoul. They had to admit, the girls could fight.

Hao casuallt walked over to Yoh, who's eyes had never left him since the start of the match. He chuckeld again, "Well, dear otouto, aren't you going to make your move? Attack while I'm apparently not ready? Or is your pride too great to openly admit you can't attack me because I am your brother?"

"I can attack you, and I will. But I wanna get a few answers from you first,"

"Go ahead, your colleagues should be able to subdue mine for long enough,"

"Number one, where is Anna?"

Hao pionted.

"Number two, what have you been doing to her?"

"Nothing at all, brother. How could you dare to think so lowly of me? I wouldn't hurt your precious fiancee for the world,"

"Right, that's why you subdued her and seduced her and had your way with her,"

"Oh! Brother knows more than he's letting on!... That's a tactic I would use,"

"If you're saying that we're similar, think again,"

"Well, a bit tempermental this morning, aren't we?"

"Maybe, one might be if their fiancee was kidnapped by their own brother, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, she also may not be your fiancee anymore-"

"That would also be her choice," Yoh said.

"But maybe not, if her fiancee was... disposed of, she would have no fiancee anymore,"

"Is that a threat, _dear brother?_"

"Only if you take it as one, otouto,"

Just then, Rio and Faust were sent reeling back from an attack made simultaneously by the girls.

"I believe that's our cue to start fighting," Hao said, making the Spirit of Fire materialise.

Yoh jumped back and performed oversoul.

"Celestial slash!"

"Ring of Fire!"

Yoh's sword produced a red slash that cut Hao's ring of bobbung flames in half, continuing until it hit the Spirit of Fire. By that time, however, the attack had lost its power and barely affected it at all.

Yoh felt it was time to play some hard ball "Giant Spirit Control!"

A giant Amidimaru materialised before the crowd. Yoh smirked. "Celestial Slash!"

The giant sword-wielding Amidimaru made a faster red slash through the air. This sent the spirit of fire reeling back as he made a Ring of Fire attack. Both attacks hit their marks, however, Yoh's was more powerful and should have done more damage.

Both boys were lying on the ground, panting and exhausted.

However, Hao then sprung up.

Yoh stared in disbelief.

"How can you- still stand- after- my last attack?"

"Easy," he snapped his fingers.

A vision of a girl enveloped in red flames appeared behind Hao.

Yoh gasped.

"Anna!"

"How does it feel, Yoh? Knowing that the one advantage you had is now being used against you?"

TBC!

YAY! I'm sorry it'z kinda short. I really need to work on more ideas. But there's some action for you!

Thanks again for the reviews.

Oh, and i didn't happen to remember who the third person on Hao's team was, so i just put mari in.

animebookworm


	15. Final Battle

SHAMAN KING! SECOND TO LAST CHAPPIE! --I think. I'm excited.

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Thank you's to all who have reviewed!

Onto the fic!

* * *

Two apparently similar figures stood facing each other inside a stadium. Well rather, one was standing, the other was lying on the ground. The four others present in the stadium were on the ground. Usually, this would mean the fight was over, however, the Great Spirit made exceptions, and this was also the last match ever to be fought for another 500 years, he could make allowances. One of the boys had long hair, and was wearing a cloak. The other, his twin, was staring horrified at the floating object behind his brother.

The figure was undoubtedly unconscious, hanging limply in the midst of red flames. The flames didn't burn the figure, however, but the boy could consider they were doing something else to her.

"ANNA!" Yoh shouted louder. "What the _heck_ did you do to her!"

"Come, come, otouto. You can't expect me to give away everything. But since you insist... I'm doing the exact same thing you were doing to her before she came to... _stay_ with me,"

"What do you mean Hao?"

**Final Battle**

"I mean her energy. I'm sucking it from her body. Just like you were doing before I broke that little link of yours,"

"She let you?"

"On the contrary, she was very forceful,... but I like it that way,"

Yoh clenched his teeth. "You've just made the biggest mistake you'll ever make, _dear brother_,"

"And who's to say that? You don't look like you're in much of a position to threaten me, brother. I could kill you right now, and have no remorse, but it IS more interesting to let you live, and torture you so with this. And don't you try to deny this is killing you inside. Because I know it is. I know YOU. And I know how you'd react. I know your attraction to her, especially since I'm just as attracted. Only, I seem to have made more headway in that department, hmm?"

Yoh's fists were balled now, and he pushed himself up with the force of pure determination. "You'll never win this Hao, you don't know what I can do purely on will,"

"Well, I daresay I'm about to find out, right otuoto?" He smiled. Yoh stooped to retrieve his sword.

"You're in for a fight now, Hao,"

"Well, I hope that you'll give it your all this time. It was quite ridiculous last time, to see how your fighting skills were,"

"What does that mean?"

"You know very well what that means otuoto, didn't Yohmei say it to you all the time when he battled you?"

That struck a nerve inside Asakura Yoh. The boy charged, sword outstreched. His brother easily dodged it, which resulted in the boy almost hitting is own fiancee, surrounded by flames.

Yoh wheeled, anger and frustration apparent in his eyes. His brother still had his back turned, recovering from the last attack. Yoh quickly hit him. The sword slashed through his cloak, hitting bare skin.

Hao keeled. Yoh heard a pained gasp behind him. Turning back, he saw Anna's face contorted with pain. He turned back to Hao, who had straightened.

"Well, perhaps my fighting would be better without that anyway," he stripped himself of the cloak, revealing his perfectly toned bare chest.

Yoh turned back to Anna, then back to Hao.

"Don't worry, brother. I won't kill her. I like her, ne? So I won't strip her of all of her energy, just enough to get me through,"

Yoh turned back, somewhat satisfied that Hao wouldn't kill her. That was right, he wanted her alive. So that he could marry her and do... things to her. Somehow this fuelled him more, the thought of Anna with this- this- maniac. But this left him without a strategy. He couldn't hurt Hao without hurting Anna, and until he made a move, Hao would keep getting stronger because of Anna. Quite a paradoxical situation for him. He turned back to Anna, wondering if he could somehow get her out of the energy-sucking flames. That would prove fruitless, especially since he didn't know what else the flames could do.

He turned back to his brother, who had a quizzical look opn his face, but the moment he noticed Yoh looking at him, he wiped the expression off, returning with that cocky one.

"Ready for another go?" Hao asked.

Yoh charged again, speed attacking had its advantages. He led a barrage of attacks on Hao, who seemed not to care, and let Yoh hit him.

By this time, Hao had a great many scratches, most of them bleeding. "My turn," he said, wiping blood from a bleeding lip.

He charged Yoh, attacking with energy balls and fists. Yoh seemed helpless. Amidimaru couldn't do anything until he found an opening in the attack, but none were there. This move had been perfected over many years of practice and experience, leaving no opening for rebuttle.

Once Hao had taken his turn, Yoh looked just as haggard as his twin. His shirt had been practically obliterated, so both boys were now just wearing pants (A/N: And it was a sight to behold!) and they looked very much alike. They were both scratched up and bleeding. Both were panting, Hao slightly less so, seeing as he had Anna's energy.

The audience watched with bated breath, an overwhelmingly large crowd rooting for Yoh (whether it was the romanticism of fighting for his fiancee, or just because he was a "good guy") and Hao's small posse rooting for the evil boy.

The twins once again stood staring at each other, too tired to make a move.

"Well, brother, You seem to be better than I expected," Hao panted.

"I dunno if that's a complement or not," Yoh panted.

"Well, you could take it either way, knowing you,"

"But you don't really know me," Yoh said back, defiantly.

"You proved me wrong on that one, brother,"

Yoh cocked a grin. He then turned his mind back to the problem of Anna.

* * *

The great spirit, watching the match, couldn't help but be impressed by the strength of both boys. Of course, he knew one of them, he had been around for the last three shaman tournaments. But the other, he had never seen him before. And this one was putting up a better fight than the spirit anticipated. He was even better than the last Asakura, and that curveball Hao threw at him with the boy's fiancee. He seems to be fighting for her more than anyone. Yes, the spirit had taken a liking to the Asakura.

* * *

"Give up, Yoh. To destroy me you'll have to destroy her,"

"Not if I can help it,"

"Not like you have a choice,"

"I'll find a way,"

"Not likely,"

The twins were now both going at each other with equal force, trading blows that did little damage on both of them. Between the blows, they traded this conversation.

Somehow, Hao found room for a left uppercut, sending Yoh flying to a spot near Anna. He chances a glance up at her, hoping he wouldn't have to use the new tactic he thought of. But he knew that she would have him kill her rather than send the world spiralling into darkness. He hoped he wouldn't kill her. '_Please, spirit, don't make me have to kill her, I'd just kill myself later, I can't live without her,_'

He got up, turning to her. The woman in flames wore a permanent painful expression. He could only guess what she was going through. He looked upon her with pity, yet admiration. And if she ever saw him looking at her like that, she was likely to kill him.

"Ready, Amidimaru?" Yoh asked, looking back toward Hao. "Maybe that new technique will be used after all. We just gotta see if it works on his attacks first, that's all,"

Hao was looking suspicious now. Yoh wiped that look off when he charged. Hao dodged. He turned back to Hao, who had an energy ball ready. Yoh figured this was what was draining Anna. Yoh smirked. He ran at the attack head on.

"NOW!" he shouted. He kept running, bring his blade over his shoulder. He sliced at the ball, making it dissipate. He smiled now. He turned around to see the shocked expression on Hao's face.

Then he turned around and sliced Anna in half.

TBC

* * *

I HAD to, I love cliffies!

Although you'll probably murder me... I'm gonna run now

animebookworm


	16. End of the Battle

And another chappie in my SK FIC! YAY! you have a lot of time for this when on summer vacation, AND I GOT OUT YESTERDAY!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Thank you to all who reviewed! I think this is gonna be the second to last chapter. I know I said that in the last chapter, but then I ended with the cliffhanger. And I'm really sorry about that, ...kinda. I like to write cliffies, I don't like to read them, so I know how you people who wait for my next chapters must feel.

And so, I updated sooner!

Onto the fic!

* * *

The crowd gasped. The boy had sliced his fiancee in half! In the stands, Tamora sat with her hands over her eyes, Trey sat with his over his ears, and Pilica sat with hers over her mouth. (They kinda looked like those monkey things with see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, etc.)

"How could Yoh do that!" Tamora finally said, still not daring to look.

"Don't you see?" Len said back, "You know he wouldn't do that unless he knew it was absolutely safe. He's got a plan,"

**End of the Battle**

On the field, Hao looked horrified.

Yoh dropped his sword, holding his hands out expectantly.

The flames around Anna vanished and she fell limply into the awaiting arms of her fiancee.

Yoh carefully lowered her to the ground, then turned to face Hao. "It's called Ghost Cutter. It's a power that Anna taught me while training. I didn't get the hang of it until just the other day. It's an amazing power. It cuts things... that can't be cut,"

He let this statement hang in the air for a little while, then continued.

"See?" he picked up the sword, now emanating blue flames, and ran it through his arm.

It passed through without making a scratch.

Everybody gasped, with the exception of Hao.

"Very good, little brother," Hao said. "I never expected you to learn that. Shows you can exceed my expectations, and how much I actually need your power. So I'll be taking it,"

Hao charged. Yoh took the defensive and blocked the attack. He couldn't have Hao getting Anna again could he?

"And I see now that she is your greatest weapon. This will be interesting,"

Hao charged again, and again Yoh took the defensive.

"Come now, Yoh. You can't expect to defeat me by just being defensive, can you?"

Yoh didn't reply

* * *

"He's biding his time," Trey said, almost absently up in the stands.

"What? Why?" Tamora asked.

"He's waiting for something. Whether it's for Hao to tire out or for someone to get Anna away I don't know, but I do know he's waiting,"

"How do you know?"

"How can you not? He's been waiting all this time to get back at Hao, and now he decides to be defensive? I don't think so,"

"Trey has a point," Len said. Pilica looked startled as the last person who would agree with her brother, actually did. "It is a bit odd that Yoh would wait now that he has his chance to get back at Hao. But with Anna there it's too risky. Hao knows how much Anna means to Yoh. He's not going to let an asset like her go wasted. And Yoh will be trying his best to spoil that for Hao. All in all, I think this is his only choice until someone gets Anna off the field,"

"I see," Tamora replied.

They returned to silently watching the match.

* * *

Hao had landed a few scratches on Yoh, but nothing too damaging. He paused now, stopping his onslaught.

"I didn't think I'd battle anyone who would wear me out. I underestimated you, Yoh. Something I will never do again,"

"But, how do you plan to beat me? Your undying source of energy has been taken away. I doubt that you will try that again. It's a whole new battle now, Hao. And this battle would call for a new strategy,"

"True, brother. But fear not! I shall come up with one. I didn't make it this far in 1500 years for nothing,"

Hao raised his arm. Before him appeared a sword.

"Do you know what this is, brother?... No? I didn't think so. It is the dreaded Sword of Kings. The very sword with which the first Shaman King won the first Shaman Tournament. It has been re-forged and remade thousands of times in its lifespan, making it the most durable sword there is. A whole lineage of shamans was assembled just to keep this sword safe. I happened upon it in my first life, where I earned the Keeper's trust, and he gave it to me for safekeeping. This sword has been infused with the powers of thousands of generations. Do you now think I need a new strategy, brother?"

Yoh appeared nervous. He had heard of the Sword of Kings. The first Shaman King was undoubtedly the most powerful of all Shaman Kings. His sword was rumored to have survived past his death, but Yoh never knew that the rumors were true. This was the sword that singlehandedly knocked all of the other shamans out of the tourney (Granted, back then it wasn't really a tourney. What with complications and rules, present-day shaman tourneys are much different than the very first shaman tournament, which consisted of a one-round free for all). It had been wielded by the most powerful shamans in all of history, and it was now in the hands of his enemy. Things were looking very grave for Yoh indeed.

That is, until something behind him stirred.

* * *

Anna was trapped inside her own mind, and had to admit, things looked very bleak there. Ever since Hao had put that...spell...on her, she couldn't arise to consciousness. And so, stuck in the confines of her mind, she was left to think.

All sorts of topics occurred to Anna, such as Hao's earlier ambush and spell ('_What was that anyway?'_), How to get out of here (_'Not much hope of that, seeing as I don't know what got me here anyway...or where here is'_), and Yoh.

She was thinking of the latter when a sharp pain racked through her body.

For the next few minutes, Anna's body was throbbing with onslaughts of pain. She didn't know where it was coming from, but she did know that it wasn't caused by herself.

The throbbing pain dulled for a few minutes. Anna was finally beginning to think it was over. Then the next onslaught attacked.

Twisting and turning, Anna fought hard to keep herself conscious (within the confines of her mind, that is).

Then suddenly, a gentle breeze brought with it immense relief and salvation. A warmth spread throughout Anna's body, completely obliterating the pain.

She moaned, groggily sitting up, only to find herself out of her own bleak mind, but into another nightmare.

* * *

"Anna!" Yoh said, stumbling over to where his fiancee had shown signs of life.

"Nggg,... Yoh?" she asked, finally getting her head straightened.

The smile Yoh showed was enough to brighten her senses. She noticed she was in one of the Shaman King Tournament's colosseums. Across the way, looking very annoyed, was Hao. Then full realisation hit her. _She had been set free._ Free from Hao's wrath and...other things. Her attention then fell to the object in Hao's hands, and her mind once again turned over.

"Yoh," she said slowly, "Tell- me- that isn't- the Sword of Kings,"

Yoh looked slightly sheepish. He put a hand behind his neck, "Well, I would. But then I'd be lying,"

Anna seemed to go paler. '_He has it? Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad._' she thought, keeping her thoughts to herself. Yoh, however, seemed to know what she was thinking anyway.

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll find a way to beat it," he gave her a fake-reassured smile. This, of course, Anna saw right through, having been exposed to all of his smiles almost every day since... well, since they met. She gave him a look, as if to say don't-try-to-give-me-false-hope-Asakura.

"Yoh," she asked again, "What am I doing here?"

"Hao was using your energy in battle. I saved you. Hao pulled his weapon. You woke up," he said, relaying all the events straight to the point, without elaboration.

"And nobody thought to remove me from the battlefield? It's standard rules, Yoh. Nobody but contestants are allowed on the field,"

"I dunno, Anna. Nobody said anything,"

"If you two are quite finished," Hao interjected, "I'd like to get on with the battle I was winning,"

Yoh and Anna stopped talking. Anna tried to get up, but this proved fruitless. Apparently, she was staying put for the time being. Yoh turned back to Hao, sword raised.

"Alright, Hao. If that's the way you want it,"

Hao charged, powering up his sword with the Spirit of Fire.

The two swords clashed in a tumult of red and blue fire. Neither one budged, nor let up their attack.

"I thought- you said- this was- the most powerful sword in the world," Yoh said through gritted teeth.

"It- is!" Hao replied, also with teeth gritted, pushing Yoh back.

They parted, jumping back a few feet toward their side. Each teammate watched the twins battle in awe, silently nursing their own wounds.

"Have you even used it before!" Yoh asked, sounding disappointed.

Hao remained silent.

Yoh looked flabberghasted (!). "Do you mean to say, that you're trying to use a weapon you've never used before!"

Anna shook her head in disappointment. "I expected more of you, _Master Hao_," she said the last part with loathing.

"It is the most powerful sword, and I am the most powerful shaman! We are a perfect entity together. Nobody can stop us!" Hao said, going into denial. He utterly refused to believe that the sword was not obeying him. Yoh and Anna watched in horror as they witnessed Hao's crazed transformation into a madman.

"You're going down little brother!" Hao called, raising the sword above his head.

Yoh and Anna shared a look. Each believed that the new Hao would be even tougher to beat than the old. The crazed madman was under total obedience to his emotions. And right now, he was angry.

Yoh jumped aside as the Sword of Kings came crashing down to earth. Dust rose from the spot, enveloping the immobile Anna and the dodging Yoh.

A huge crater was left in the wake, stopping just before it got to the spot where Anna was sitting.

Hao turned around, smiling madly at Yoh. Yoh stepped back, slightly nervous.

"What's the matter, brother? Don't you want to play?" Hao swung the sword over his head again.

This time, Yoh couldn't run. The crater the sword would make put his teammates, as well as Hao's, in danger. He flinched, but then put his sword in a defensive stance.

Hao's sword came down upon his.

Yoh's sword shattered.

The flying pieces cut into his flesh and fell harmlessly to the ground around him.

Yoh fell to his knees.

The twins froze there for a minute. One kneeling in shards of broken metal, the other looming over his brother, sword outstreched.

Then Hao raised the sword to strike the now defenseless Yoh.

"YOH!" Anna shouted, surprising everyone.

Anna's voice triggered something inside Yoh. He sprang and rolled away from the descending blade, arising and quickly hitting Hao in a pressure point on the back of the neck.

And Hao fell.

Just like that, the Destroyer was defeated. By a flick of the hand in a bad spot. A spot all humans had.

And in this one moment, everyone present was reminded just how human Hao the destroyer actually was.

Silva, startled at the abrupt end, stuttered out, "The battle is over... Yoh Asakura is the winner!"

And the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause as Yoh Asakura stood disbelievingly on the battlefield.

TBConcluded!

* * *

YAYNESS! I finished the battle. How'd everyone like it! Good! I hope so.

I kinda just felt that this was a good place to end the chapter, so more on the way!

Thanks to all who reviewed... again!

animebookworm


	17. Endings

THE LAST CHAPTER! I'm kinda sad...

...kinda

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the LAST CHAPTER of the fic...

* * *

"I... won?" Yoh asked rhetorically. 

"Yoh!" came a call from behind him. He turned around to see Anna, standing.

"Anna?" He ran to her and hugged her for all he was worth.

And Anna was surprised, of course. Not being used to getting hugs, she didn't exactly know what to do, so she settled for just letting Yoh hold her in the midst of all onlookers.

**Endings**

"Are you okay?" Yoh asked, putting his hands on her shoulders and surveying her. "He didn't do anything to you, right?"

"No," Anna said. Technically this was not a lie. She didn't know what 'anything' was, and therefore to her knowledge, he didn't do 'anything'.

"Good," Yoh stated, cosoled. Silva walked up to them.

"Yoh Asakura," he said.

"Yes?" Yoh asked.

"You have won the tournament. Now you and your fellow shamans must appear before the Great Spirit so he may decide upon the new Shaman King," he said formally. "Oh," he said, leaning down as if to tell a secret, "And nice job,"

Yoh smiled his trademark smile. "Thanks, Silva,"

Silva straightened again. "Follow me," he said, once again retaining his formalities. He led Yoh out of the stadium. Anna watched him go.

She started walking in the opposite direction, toward Yoh's friends in the stands. Rio and Faust got up and followed her out. She was, after all, still Anna the Itako, the one undeniably in charge and one who could hurt them all. It was best to cooperate with her.

"Anna!" Tamora, Jun, and Pilica called, running down to meet her as she jumped the wall into the stands.

"We're glad you're okay, Miss Anna!" Tamora called, finally reaching her.

Anna was surprised, again. She had never thought anyone would _miss_ her. What had she done for them? Nothing except torture them. Did that seem right? What had she done to make them miss her?

"Indeed," Jun agreed, "It was definately... different around here without you,"

"And Yoh was going out of his mind!" Pilica brought up, "I mean when he turned on that radio and we heard you cry! That was- Ouch!" Trey had nudged her in the back.

"You heard that!" Anna asked.

"Well!"

"Uh... yes?" Pilica said, uncertain.

"What else did you hear!" she demanded.

And so, they told her.

* * *

Yoh followed Silva out of the stadium. He was led through Dobe Village to a wide fiels with a huge tree. This tree stood over all of the village's buildings and even the colosseums. Behind the tree was a large pathway of silver light. The light path curved upward, leading to the birthplace of spirits, and home of the Great Spirit. 

Yoh was struck speechless at the sight.

Although he had seen it before, there was something about it now, something definate, that made it all the more special.

"Yoh Asakura," Silva said, sounding as if he had practiced this a billion times. "The Great Spirit had asked me to take you to meet him. This is a journey that you must make alone. I shall wait here for your return," he winked at Yoh.

Yoh decided to play along and, going all formal, said, "Thank you kind sir, I shall hope to see you upon my return,"

Yoh turned toward the silver path and took the first step onto it.

* * *

"You heard that too!" Anna questioned. She felt the cover of her emotions had been blown sky-high seeing as they had all heard her break down. 

"Yes," Len said. "Yes, now we've heard everything, so... what's next?"

Tamora piped up, "Well, I suppose we'll have to wait for Yoh to come back from wherever he's going-"

"Which is to see the Great Spirit," Anna said.

They gasped.

"Oh come on! It's not like you didn't know he was going to be Shaman King after that battle!"

She had them there.

"You won't have to wait long," Yoh said, coming up behind the group.

"Yoh!" They all said.

"Hey! So you're the Shaman King, dude! How does it feel?" Asked Trey, pretending to be a newscaster.

"I don't feel any different, although I have a better sense of self-achievement," he said into Trey's fist, which they were pretending was the microphone.

"Mr. Asakura!" Pilica piped up, playing along. She raised a hand with a microphone "What are your plans now that you're Shaman King,"

"Well I'm certainly not going to destroy all humans, like my otouto planned. But honestly, that's a pretty broad topic. First I plan to go home and get some long overdue sleep,"

They all sweatdropped.

Choco then spoke, "Mr. Shaman King! How much can we pay you to do the things we would have wanted if we were Shaman King?"

Everybody sweatdropped again, with the exception of Choco.

"I'm... not gonna answer that,"

Nobody noticed Anna had walked away.

* * *

"Hey, Anna," Yoh said later, after finding Anna on a hill on the outskirts of Dobe Village. 

"Hello, Yoh," Anna said, sounding like her usual self.

"Don't give me that, Anna," Yoh said. "What happened to you?"

"I... It was Hao,"

"What was Hao?"

"He... made me like that, the total emotional wreck. He... did things to me, Yoh. Things I let him do because..."

"Because...?"

"Because I thought I stood a better chance of survival. He was more powerful. And if you can't beat them-"

"Join them," Yoh said.

"Yes, but I didn't want to join him. I wanted things back to the way they were. But I still let him do those things to me. Maybe I thought that I could fool him and make a break for it at some point,"

"But the fact is, you let him do unspeakable things to you. And you, being human, almost enjoyed them,"

"... I didn't want to- he forced me- I wanted out- he wanted me..."

"But you let him have you? Willingly?"

"No! No, Yoh! Never! I didn't give myself to him. That offer I am reserving for one person alone... But he almost took me by force..."

Yoh sat down beside her. "Anna," he said softly, "I don't blame you. For anything! Actually, I should blame myself. That link, Anna, it made you weak. You couldn't resist him when he took you. It was my fault,"

"I was the one who made the link, Yoh. I wanted to help you. I needed to help you-"

"Why, Anna! Why did you need to help me? You didn't have to. The last thing I'd want is for you to get hurt because of me. Why didn't you tell me that the link would share pain too? I never would have done it if you'd told me. I've been driving myself crazy over you these past few days! I was so helpless! I couldn't save you! I-"

"You didn't have to do that, Yoh. I could have taken care of myself and you know it,"

"Then why did you let him..." he trailed off.

Anna didn't answer.

"You were always there, Yoh. Whenever I needed you, you were there. After my parents died and I stopped feeling emotion, I found you and your family. Even when I was horrible to you during training, you didn't complain, not much anyway. You obeyed me willingly, but what had I done to deserve your obedience? Nothing. I needed to know I was helping you for once, instead of you always helping me. Do you now how many times I've _cried_ over the past few days, Yoh? I don't even think I could count! And that was all because of you. You took my heart and let me feel again, Yoh. I'm forever indebted to you,"

"...Anna, you've helped me more than you know. You trained me so I wouldn't fail. And look at me now! The Shaman King! All because of your training. You also gave me confidence. Do you know how I saved you during that last match? Ghost Cutter. The technique _you_ made me learn because it might help me. And during the last part of the fight, after my sword broke, you were the one that made me get out of the way. I won because of you, Anna. You don't owe me anything,"

There was a pause.

"So what do we do now?" Anna asked.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, the tournament's over. I... I can leave if you want me to. I don't need to train you any more,"

"I don't think so," Yoh said. "About the leaving, that is. The training- I'm set with,"

Anna giggled.

Yoh heard the beautiful sound and laughed along.

"You should laugh more often out in the open, Anna,"

"Out in the open?" she asked.

"Yes, Anna... I know what you are like when you're alone. And it's totally different than what you're like with your friends. Be more like your real self with them,"

"I... don't know..."

"Sure! It's easy! I'll even help!"

"Still... I've been this way for so long..."

"You'll get back in no time, Anna! Especially if you let me help you!"

"... Alright,"

"What?"

"Alright,"

"Really!"

"Yes,"

"YAY!" he said, then kissed her on the cheek.

Both sat momentarily stunned at Yoh's sudden action. Yoh was still leaning over to Anna's sitting form, and Anna was staring straight ahead.

Anna turned her head to look at Yoh. This inadvertantly brought their faces closer together and made their noses touch.

Bluches spread across both of their cheeks.

"Uh...," Anna said. Yoh quickly backed off.

They both looked away while their cheeks became pale again.

"Yoh... why did you do that?"

"I... don't know,"

"Oh...

...Do it again,"

Yoh smiled, then kissed her on the cheek again. She smiled back at him, a genuine, happy smile.

And he couldn't resist.

He kissed her full on.

Needless to say, Anna wasn't expecting this. And so, she was quite surprised to find a pair of lips on hers again. The last person to do that was Hao. But... this was Yoh.

And there was something different there.

She responded to it-- something she never truly did to Hao.

Yoh stopped. "I- I'm sorry Anna!"

"That's okay, Yoh," she replied. "In fact... I think I liked it,"

"...Really?"

"Really,"

And Yoh kissed her again.

END!

* * *

I ENDED IT! WAAAAAAAAAAAA! 

thank you to all my loyal reviewers. I hope to write more and that you'll read more when I write them. Unfortunately, I don't have any ideas right now for another story (unlike my CC fics) otherwise... I'd include a sneak peek, like i did in Another Big Shrink

If any of you have any ideas for stories that you may want me to write, just email me!

I hope to write more soon! Maybe even a sequel. Should I?

animebookworm


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